Ed’s inbox – April 5th

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

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

Why don’t we try to find out why we lost? – Labour Uncut
By Dan Hodges

We’re off. Boots on the ground, leaflets through the letterbox. The Labour movement is marching again, back on the campaign trail.

But while we throw ourselves body and soul into the battle to wrest our town halls and regional assemblies from the government’s grasp, a question. As we enter this election campaign, does anyone know why we lost the last one? – Read more.

Tories in Derby face corruption probe over pothole bribe – Political Scrapbook
By James Dixon

£100m to fix pot holes in the roads was one of George Osborne’s Budget giveaways ahead of the local elections, but not even the Chancellor would have thought to literally try and bribe people into voting Conservative by fixing their roads. But, that’s what Matthew Holmes, Deputy Leader of Derby City Council stands accused of. – Read more.

The Oliver Letwin train-crash in slow motion – Liberal Conspiracy
By Sunny Hundal

This was Boris Johnson a few weeks ago, when trying to lobby for expanding airport capacity in London:

I was absolutely scandalised the other day to hear a government minister tell me that he did not want to see more families in Sheffield being able to afford cheap foreign holiday.

I think it is an absolutely disgrace that you are seeing a kind of bourgeois repression of people’s ability to take holidays. I really think it is a matter of social justice that we look at aviation capacity in this country.

And who is responsible for such “bourgeois repression”?

Oh look, it turns out to be millionaire cabinet minister Oliver Letwin. – Read more.

Are Lib Dems deserting a sinking ship? – Left Foot Forward
By Ed Jacobs

Just days after one of the Liberal Democrats’ outgoing MSPs turned his back on his colleagues at both Holyrood and Westminster, the Lib Dems have now faced a further humiliation as a second of their outgoing MSPs, John Farquhar Munro, appeared to endorse Alex Salmond for first minister. – Read more.

Lansley’s been Spelmaned as Cameron does The Cameron – a new Cabinet language is born – Alastair Campbell
By Alastair Campbell

As health secretary Andrew Lansley stumbles through one of the most humiliating weeks of his career, at least his Cabinet colleague Caroline Spelman can boast her own little place in history as a result. The environment secretary is the first member of the coalition Cabinet to have become a verb … as in ‘Lansley’s just been Spelmaned’. This is not in the same league as saving the planet, I accept, but it is something for a minister who (take your pick) has seemed a touch out of her depth. – 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.