Ed’s inbox – June 3rd

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

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

Can Labour win without David Miliband? – Political Betting
By Henry G Manson

Labour has to do a hell of lot of work to get in fighting shape for contention at the next election. I’ll look at some of these issues in future columns. However it struck me straight after Ed Miliband’s election as Labour leader there were three seemingly ‘superficial’ things that had to be corrected before he really got a proper look-in at becoming Prime Minister.

I know this makes me sound old-fashioned but the first of these was getting married [done]. The second was fixing his voice [scheduled for summer]. The third is getting his brother back on board. – Read more.

The Egyptian revolution — brought to you by Vodafone! – The Staggers
By Samira Shackle

Vodafone’s new ad claims it inspired the uprising — even though it is accused of shutting down networks on government orders.

Vodafone has sparked fury in Egypt after an advert which suggests that it, and its tagline, helped to inspire the revolution in the country earlier this year.

The commercial starts by showing how Vodafone launched its “power to you” Campaign in Egypt on 1 January 2011, three weeks before the uprising.

It goes on to show images from rallies in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, saying: “We didn’t send people to the streets, we didn’t start the revolution… We only reminded Egyptians how powerful they are”. – Read more.

As ordinary people suffer, the super-rich keep reaping benefits – Liberal Conspiracy
By David Malone

A study by Boston Consulting Group on global wealth and who has it, reported by Bloomberg, under the headline “World’s Wealthy Rose by 12% on Market Gains”. And there you have it, the truth of the last year encapsulated in 8 words.

According to Peter Damisch, head of the firm’s wealth-management practice in Zurich:

“Wealth became more concentrated, with millionaire households controlling 39 percent of the world’s assets, up from 37 percent a year earlier…”

The wealthiest increased their wealth by 2% in a single year. – Read more.

Private providers pay £60,000+ for access to senior NHS management – Political Scrapbook
By Political Scrapbook

As the government attempt to get NHS privatisation up and running even before the Health and Social Care Bill is passed, private healthcare providers are paying upwards of £60,000 for access to government ministers and senior NHS management, including “top table places” at a dinner with Andrew Lansley.

Networking packages for the NHS Confederation conference next month offer corporations the opportunity to “engage with health sector leaders” for a pricetag of between £48,000 and £60,000. And in promotional documents which clearly move the programme into cash-for-access territory, the highest level of sponsorship, for which no fee is quoted, explicitly guarantees private providers quarterly briefings from policy staff and meetings with NHS directors:

“Become an event partner and benefit from … two meetings at your HQ with director-level NHS Confederation representatives” – Read more.

No way back from losing London? – Labour Uncut
By Atul Hatwal

Can you hear it? That creaking, grinding metallic sound, emanating from the capital.

Even faintly in the background?

No? Well, it will get louder in the coming months till it’s deafening.

It is the sound of the clock being turned back twenty years to a time when London was a Tory town. – 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.