Ed’s inbox – March 7th

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

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

As Cameron slithers from tactic to tactic, Mandelson and Straw right to defend difficult positions – Alastair Campbell
By Alastair Campbell

I may not have liked much about Peter Mandelson’s book (“‘insufferably self-indulgent’ – Alastair Campbell” doesn’t seem to have made it to the quotes on the cover of the paperback). However, I totally agree with his defence of the Blair government’s attempts to bring Libya in from the cold.

He has written a well-argued piece in the Financial Times, rightly saying that the criticism of those who have had any kind of links with Libya has been taken to ‘ridiculous lengths’ and that it will harm British interests, not just in Libya, but elsewhere for what it says about how we slither from one position to another. – Read more.

How Ed Miliband could win the AV vote for Labour – Liberal Conspiracy
By Sunny Hundal

Having tied himself firmly to the mast, Ed Miliband has a vested interest in ensuring the referendum on Alternative Vote is won.

There are, of course, snags. There’s little that can be done about the dishonest advertising campaign claiming that it will cost £250m. But another problem looms for him: how the referendum is being framed. And this is where the Yes camp has failed. – Read more.

How would extremists fare under AV? – Left Foot Forward
By Sunder Katwala

Ken Clarke has claimed that the Alternative Vote would make it easier for extremists to be elected to Parliament. This is the opposite of the truth. But it is one of a number of questionable and misleading claims about extremism being made by opponents of the Alternative Vote. Let’s look at the evidence. – Read more.

Not quite Cameron’s forces of Conservatism… – Hopi Sen
By Hopi Sen

I’ve mentioned before that since become Prime Minister, David Cameron’s major political speeches read as if the speechwriter has taken an early Blair speech and run it through a Conservativamizer ™.

So it was this weekend, with the Prime Minister’s “Forces of Conservatism”, “Enemies of Enterprise” speech. Unfortunately, the Conservativamizer appears to be faulty. – Read more.

The West’s Faustian deal with Arab tyranny unravels – Left Futures
By Michael Meacher

As Gadaffi totters and Saudi Arabia, the Big One, comes into the Arab revolution’s sights, the hypocrisy that has long held the Arab states in bondage is coming home to roost. The West’s deal with the Arab dictators is coming unstuck, big time.

Despite all the Western pretensions about democracy, women’s rights, cracking down on corruption, and press freedom, the deal was: – 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.