Ed’s inbox – May 18th

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

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

Ignorant or lying? Cameron claims he has “never heard of” adviser who was responsible for health in Witney – Political Scrapbook
By Political Scrapbook

David Cameron has claimed he had “never heard of” controversial health adviser Mark Britnell – despite the fact that Britnell was previously the most senior official overseeing NHS services for his constituency of Witney. The prime minister was attempting to distance himself from remarks that the NHS would be “shown no mercy” in its privatisation after Scrapbook’s coverage of the comments went viral last week.

At Prime Minister’s Questions this afternoon, Cameron told MPs:

“I’ve never heard about this person in my life.” – Read more.

Will Progress ever have a clause four moment of its own? – Labour Uncut
By Sunder Katwala

“A Fabian clause IV moment may loom for the ole statists’ new chief”, wrote the pressure group Progress, as their think-tank column sought to stir up some speculation about the future of the Fabian Society under its next general secretary. (I leave this summer. Do apply here, before May 26).

A week later, Progress published a “reform or die” injunction to the Fabian Society, though doing more to stoke a little distant nostalgia for the early “big tent” Blairism of the Britpop era than to credibly suggest an existential threat, particularly when Fabian Society membership is today higher that at any point in our 126-year history. – Read more.

Ken Clarke: Should he stay or should he go? – Sarah Hayward’s Blog
By Sarah Hayward

I have a confession to make. I listen to 5 live far more regularly than I listen to Radio 4. Partly it’s sport, partly it’s audience participation gives you access to a bigger range of views and partly, it increasingly breaks the big stories. It might that politicians view it as a lower life form than Radio 4 so don’t prepare as well. But DJs like Victoria Derbyshire and Richard Bacon are increasingly getting the big interviews and breaking the big stories.

I can’t begin to tell my reaction to Ken Clarke as I listened live to an hour long interview and phone in that has now become the big political story of the day. If you’ve heard the media and political reaction, you should listen to the original interview. From twitter reaction others were as stunned as me at what they were hearing. Slack jawed doesn’t come close to conveying my reaction. – Read more.

One year in jail, Bradley Manning is a hero
By Peter Tatchell

Blowing the whistle on war crimes is no crime.

On 26 May, Private Bradley Manning will have been held in US military detention without trial for one year. He faces a battery of charges, including “aiding the enemy” – a crime punishable by execution under US law.

What was Manning’s crime? As well as allegedly releasing classified diplomatic cables that exposed the hypocrisy of top US officials, it is alleged that he blew the whistle on war crimes and cover-ups by the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan. If this is true, the man is a hero. He is a defender of democracy and human rights. His actions are based on the principle that citizens have a right to know what the government is doing in their name. – Read more.

How Lord Ashcroft hopes to deliver a ‘Conservative majority’ for 2015 – Liberal Conspiracy
By Sunny Hundal

A year into the current government, Lord Ashcroft has done a detailed analysis of voters perceive the Conservative party and what is required for a majority (a vote share of around 40%) can be achieved in 2015.

It’s an impressive document that is worth dissecting; usefully, posted online. Here are some excerpts on the direction of travel Lord Ashcroft thinks Conservatives should take. – 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.