Ed’s inbox: January 14th 2011

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

If Ed Miliband could only read five blogposts each day, he’d read these ones…

Integration after Oldham – Next Left
By Nick Johnson

The origins of the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election should perhaps have more long-term significance for Labour than the result.

Without getting into the rights and wrongs of every piece of Phil Woolas’ campaign literature, his tone and approach clearly overstepped the mark in a way which was highly symptomatic of a political left that has been in retreat on issues of race and diversity. Assailed by the press, under pressure locally from the BNP and looking at polling data that showed white working-class communities deserting the Party, Labour risks becoming paralysed over these issues. – Read more

One by-election swallow won’t make a political summer for Ed – LabourList
By Mark Ferguson

The Oldham result was a good one for Labour, there’s no doubt about that. Our vote rose by 10% from last May, and we received more votes yesterday on a 48% turnout than we did eight months ago on a 61% turnout. Despite the difficult circumstances that brought about the by-election, Labour were able to run a strong, successful and positive campaign. Both the party and our newest MP Debbie Abrahams should be congratulated for that.

One by-election swallow won’t make for a political summer though, and there’s a challenge hidden in last night’s results. One that Labour needs to focus on. The Lib Dem vote held up. – Read More

Oldham East and Saddleworth: the return of polarised politics – Liberal Conspiracy
By Dave Osler

The inexcusable and repugnant racism plastered all over the glossy election leaflets of Phil Woolas last May should have been enough to condemn Labour to good kicking in yesterday’s Oldham and Saddleworth by-election.

Ethnic minority and mildly left-of-centre voters had every right to register their distaste by putting their cross elsewhere.

And yet Debbie Abrahams – a candidate of no obvious distinction – secured a sharp increase in the Labour support, in both absolute and relative terms. On the other hand, coalition backers coalesced behind the Lib-Dems, most likely a sign of tactical voting by Tory supporters. – Read More

Simon Hughes’ progressive claims don’t stack up – Left Foot Forward
By Will Straw

In his column for last week’s New Statesman, Simon Hughes set out what he saw as the progressive influence of the Liberal Democrats in the coalition. Some of these reforms deserve credit and support, but the economic damage done to Britain’s communities – including his own – overshadow any good that is taking place.

Simon Hughes made a bold claim at the start of his article:

“We start the year not just in government but ensuring every week that progressive policy is agreed upon and implemented.”

While on Sky this morning, Hughes said:

“the Liberal Democrat contribution to government is to make sure we have a more liberal Britain & a fairer Britain economically” – Read More

To the Mainstream UK Media – Diary of a Benefit Scrounger
By Sue Marsh

Dear Mainstream Media

I’m mystified, totally puzzled.

I know there are lots of cuts happening all at once and group after group must be lobbying for column inches or news slots. Students, middle income child benefit recipients, housing benefit claimants frightened they are about to become homeless, nurses, fire fighters, police, local councils – we all want you to take our cause to heart, to tell people what is really happening on our behalf.

Students have marched, with youth and vitality and could presumably do so until 2015. The broadsheets were falling over themselves to tell the higher rate tax paying, cornflake-munching- commuters of Britain just how much they stand to lose in child benefit. (£1,055 per year for the first child, £696.80 for each additional child). You’ve made sure that most of us know how many police officers we could lose or how pay freezes faced by nurses will add up.

But there is a group who might as well not exist. The newspapers rarely write about us, (unless it is to demonise or deny us with Daily Mail Group hyperbole) the TV stations turn a blind eye – there is not even a political party prepared to stand up for us. – Read More

Our suggestions for Ed’s inbox are limited by what we read – so if you’ve seen a blogpost that should be in Ed’s inbox, let us know.