Ed’s inbox – June 17th

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

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

The nasty party is always just below the surface – Sarah Hayward’s Blog
By Sarah Hayward

Fridays are normally a bit of non-event as far as Parliament is concerned. But it’s always worth checking out what backbenchers are up to. Today saw the second reading of Christopher Chope’s private member’s effort, the Employment Opportunities Bill. Among the provisions of the attractively-titled Bill was an opt-out on the national minimum wage.

Yes. It seems despite Cameron’s best detoxification efforts, and embracing of Labour’s landmark policy, there’s still a rump of Tories willing to support efforts to lower wages for the least well-off, ironically and inversely pushing up the welfare bill for those benefits that are linked to income, but that’s another blog. – Read more.

Tory MP suggests Sick & Disabled work for less than Min Wage – Diary of a Benefit Scrounger
By Sue Marsh

And so it begins.

No-one ever seriously doubted that Conservatives would challenge the Minimum Wage the minute they got into power.

Despite it being the most popular and effective policy introduced by Labour during their term in office, despite it ensuring a minimum level of security for everyone, we were all just waiting for this government to start trying to persuade us that it “constrained free markets” “held back business” or was simply “un-necessary regulation”. – Read more.

Why Ed Balls’ simple proposal on the economy works – Liberal Conspiracy
By Duncan Weldon

I’ve argued in recent days that the prospects for the recovery are weak but also that fiscal policy is constrained and the left needs to acknowledge this – so I can see why people might think I am throwing up my arms and saying ‘we’re all doomed’. But I’m not.

There is always an alternative.

And yesterday’s Ed Balls speech helped outline such an alternative. – Read more.

Generation Next: Liverpool’s youngest ever Councillor – ProgLoc
By Jake Morrison

Its not an easy time to be young.

Tuition fees have been trebled. University places have been cut. The EMA has been slashed. There are dozens of applicants for every job, and fewer jobs every day. The numbers of 18 to 24 year olds looking for work grows every day. And its harder than ever to get a foot hold on the housing ladder.

It seemed right, therefore, to do what I could to make sure that young people were represented and had someone to fight their corner. – Read more.

More tube strikes in three years of Boris than eight years of Ken – Political Scrapbook
By Political Scrapbook

After Scrapbook rebutted several laughable attempts to link Ken Livingstone to Bob Crow and the RMT union, Boris Johnson’s campaign team stepped their smear campaign up a gear this week by enlisting the help of the cabinet. Transport secretary Phillip Hammond became the latest mouthpiece for their fibs, spinning to the Evening Standard that Livingstone was poised to accept cash from Crow. – Read more.