Ed’s inbox – April 18th

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

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

Tory MP “too busy” to answer emails buys £750 iPad on expenses – Political Scrapbook
By Political Scrapbook

A Tory MP whose office told constituents he was too busy to respond to their emails purchased a £750 iPad on expenses. The office of Mid-Norfolk MP George Freeman told constituents who contacted him regarding NHS reforms that he couldn’t be bothered to write back to them: – Read more.

The Chamber – Shot by both sides
By Kerry McCarthy

As John Lehal points out in this piece for PR Week, the influx of new MPs in the 2010 Parliament are far more active in the Chamber than their predecessors. This is partly because they’re eager young pups, and want to show their constituents and the party whips (probably not in that order) that they’re up for it. It’s also partly the case that their predecessors had become jaded, particulaly after the expenses scandal when many MPs felt that all their work counted for nothing in the public eye, or had settled into a routine of focusing on select committee work or leading an All-Party Group. (As John says in his article, specialising on a topic you know something about and, importantly, can do something about, is the way to succeed in a modest way. Might not get you round that Cabinet table, but it’s useful and important work.) Also, many MPs in marginal seats were off nursing their constituencies rather than speaking in the Chamber. – Read more.

Met Office chief got death threats from global warming deniers – Liberal Conspiracy
By Sunny Hundal

The Head of the Met Office revealed today that he got death threats just for doing his job, by global warming deniers. John Hirst told an audience at Exeter University:

I said, ‘I get death threats too, it’s crazy. Why don’t we talk, because if we can take some of this small ‘p’ politics out of this conversation we might do a service to the world.

He was referring to Johnny Ball, who was reported in the tabloids as being the target of a hate campaign by environmentalists. – Read more.

Universal credit under the microscope – Progress
By Kate Green MP

Ministers claim that the introduction of the universal credit could lift 350,000 children and 600,000 working-age adults out of poverty, impressive figures if they’re right. But the more I read, the more I’m puzzled by the government’s strategy to eradicate child poverty by increasing parental employment.

Of course, it’s the right ambition, but there are so many gaps and inconsistencies, and the policies simply don’t add up. – Read more.

Should Labour’s AV agnostics vote against Clegg – or Osborne? – Next Left
By Sunder Katwala

It would be great if every referendum was decided on the merits of the issue on the ballot. Ed Miliband makes that appeal in The Independent today.

“It is not a referendum on Nick Clegg nor David Cameron. It is a referendum on AV.”

But the comparative evidence shows that doesn’t always happen – with voters often expressing a view about the government of the day. Many Labour supporters who don’t have strong views about AV one way or the other want to protest the Coalition government and its cuts agenda. The polling evidence suggests that they could decide the referendum.

But it is impossible to vote against the Coalition on AV. – 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.