Ed’s inbox – April 11th

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

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

The homophobic discrimination in blood donation just got worse – Liberal Conspiracy
By Caroline Crampton

Several years ago one of my closest friends responded to my moaning about not being allowed to give blood (for health-related reasons) by saying that he couldn’t either. Not for tangible, provable medical reasons like me, but because he’s that lethal combination of homosexual and sexually active.

When I read in yesterday’s papers that public health minister Anne Milton is shortly to announce that this ludicrous ban on homosexual men giving blood is to be lifted, I was pleased that reason had finally come to the fore. – Read more.

Who the hell does Gus O’Donnell think he is? – Labour Uncut
By Tom Harris

Revelations that head of the civil service, Sir Gus O’Donnell, blocked a judicial inquiry into allegations of phone hacking by the News of the World, prompts the urgent question: who the hell does he think he is?

According to the Guardian, O’Donnell considered that by the autumn of 2009, the general election was imminent and therefore an inquiry would be too politically sensitive, given that former News of the World editor, Andy Coulson, was now spinning for David Cameron.

Well, so what? If something is so serious that it warrants investigation, then it should be investigated, irrespective of the political timetable. In fact, the proximity of Coulson to power at that point should have made an inquiry more imperative, not less. – Read more.

Civil servants told to buy pricier train tickets because of “public perception” – Political Scrapbook
By Political Scrapbook

In the cases where a first class train ticket is actually less expensive than the available standard class options, staff in DWP have been told to opt for the pricier package because of “public perception”.

In an email seen by Scrapbook, civil servants are told the department’s Permanent Secretary Robert Devereux has banned first class travel “irrespective of grade or journey length” – Read more.

Last chance to have your say on Employment Support Allowance – Left Foot Forward
By Sue Marsh

Whenever I write about the Employment Support Allowance, (ESA, previously Incapacity benefit or IB) someone, somewhere will always use the phrase; “Well, obviously those in genuine need must be supported”. I have never before heard anyone say, we just don’t have the money so some genuinely sick and disabled people will just have to suffer. Yet as I’m writing this, that is the exact rationale being used. – Read more.

Child poverty strategy at risk – Progress
By Kate Green MP

Somewhat overdue, on the last day before recess, the government published its child poverty strategy. It was released to much fanfare from Nick Clegg about his commitment to improving social mobility.

But social mobility’s not the same thing as tackling poverty, and Clegg’s own Commission on Social Mobility found that countries with the lowest levels of inequality also tended to have the greatest social fluidity. Despite the introduction of a host of new measures in the child poverty strategy to track children’s outcomes across a range of indicators, I couldn’t see a measure of inequality. – 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.