Ed’s inbox – June 20th

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

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

George Osborne aide referred to authorities over cash-for-tours – Political Scrapbook
By Political Scrapbook

George Osborne’s parliamentary aide has been referred to Commons authorities after fees were charged to access parliament. Greg Hands is the subject of an official complaint after Scrapbook revealed tickets for a tour sponsored by the Chelsea and Fulham MP were sold on for profit. – Read more.

Modernise at all levels – Progress
By Peter Mandelson

In The Third Man I said the TB-GB-PM era of New Labour is over – it died on May 6 last year. Don’t think party is served by any of us spending time rolling out our greatest hits from decade after 1997 because the country has moved on. It is a task for the new generation to reinvent New Labour for a new decade, not to dwell on it or reheat it.

If I talk about past it is to learn from it, not to go back to it. – Read more.

Why is Tony Blair letting Cameron use him for advantage? – Liberal Conspiracy
By Steven Fielding

The Independent’s Steve Richards has highlighted the existence of an ‘informal alliance’ between David Cameron and Tony Blair.

Richards suggests this ‘alliance’ is based on a policy agenda embraced by many of those who worked closest with Blair in government as well as some of Cameron’ s most trusted Cabinet colleagues.

This will not come as news to those academics and Labour members who have always claimed that Blair was a Thatcherite.

Nor will it surprise Conservative horrified by Cameron’ s 2005 claim that he was the “heir to Blair”. – Read more.

What are the unions supposed to do? – New Statesman
By Dan Hodges

The unions aren’t bluffing this time. Despite the Tory hype, the TUC’s big battalions rarely march in anger. If I had a pound for every time Bob Crowe threatened strike action, then called it off at the last minute, I’d be as rich as one of his members.

But when Dave Prentice says he intends to bring “huge swaths of the public sector to a halt”, he isn’t making idle threats. He can, and he will. – Read more.

How bloggers exposed Tory ‘EasyCouncil’ where outsourcing is out of control – Left Foot Forward
By Adam Langleben

Barnet-Easy-councilLocal councils’ audit committees are usually poorly attended. But Barnet council’s was held in front of a packed room last Thursday, as local bloggers and residents heard a damning indictement of a council that had been proclaimed as a Tory trailblazer.

How this came about, however, began in March, when the Ham and High exposed the news that a security firm, Met Pro Rapid Response – tasked with providing the security for the budget cuts council meeting of Barnet Council – covertly and illegally filmed residents, councillors and campaigners which attended the meeting. – Read more.