My Top Ten Blogs of the Year

Ok for all those who really want to know here is my top ten blogs as sent to total politics. My criteria were a combination of ones that grab my attention whenever they post, frequency and consistency of blogging and depth of knowledge and personality displayed over the whole 12 months. So as is traditional in reverse order.

10. Liberal Burblings -Sadly having excluded Subrosa (who would have been 8th) who excluded herself from the voting I voted for Paul Walter's excellent blog before he too made himself, made himself illegible for the vote. I could of course have lied and named my 12th favourite blog of the year here but that would not have been right.

9. Charlotte Gore - While Charlotte herself will be one of the first to tell you she and me are opposite spectrums of the party on many issues it doesn't stop me liking how she puts her point across.

8. Yapping Yousuf - With Kezia away for much of the year this young Glasgow economics student filled the void. He is the pre-eminent Scottish Labour blogger of the year, even better than a certain Glasgow based MP IMHO.

7. Himmelgarten Cafe - Mr Quist is one of the new stars of the Lib Dem firmament. He often seems to produce insightful commentary on what is going on around us.

6. Caron's Musings - Last year if I had voted for the blog that I inspired and helped get off it's feet it would have reeked of nepotism. But Caron has come on leaps and bounds in the last year. She is even challenging me not only for the top Scottish Lib Dem blog but the top West Lothian based Lib Dem blog.

5. Slugger O'Toole - Although led by Mick Fealty this collaborative effort is the best example of Northern Irish political blogging and how I keep up with what is going on back home. It covers both sides of the community and those of us who are in the middle. Hopefully a good reflection or prophecy of where Northern Ireland is heading.

4. Mark Reckons - The has been the rising star of the Lib Dem Blogosphere this year and even if I do make the shortlist for the Lib Dem blog of the year for 2009 I fully expect to be beaten along with all the others by this man. Going from nothing to getting the attention of the MSM with his post on MPs Expenses and the correlation with the safeness of their seat. Mark Thompson has been on fire and getting hotter.

3. Lib Dem Voice - The true voice of democracy as any member with a reasonable argument is able to submit and other's from outwith the Lib Dem family are also invited to post on liberal issues.

2. SNP Tactical Voting - Even despite being less tactical since joining the party last year Jeff is now producing the top dog of blogs in Scotland. Even without a partisan Nat vote he would stand head and shoulders above the best that any of the other parties can offer North of the Border.

1. Millennium Elephant - One of only three (I think) Fluffy Liberals that blogs but this pachyderm has a sense or perspective that puts other bloggers to shame. All humans are reduced to the level of appropriate satire and their goings on are retold in similar fashion. Feel however he may again be overlooked for the Lib Dem blogger of the year behind the jealousy of others who point fingers at one of his daddy's being the fingers on the keyboard. As if? How very dare they!