Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Read Me Now I'm 65

Ok I know the Beatles song is 64, and no I haven't slipped in a few extra birthdays. But hey best I could do because somebody should have given me a slightly higher ranking. Yes I'm looking at you (only joking). Thank you everyone who voted for me in the Total Politics Poll.

Total Politics have announced numbers 51-100 in their poll today and I'm delighted to say that my good friend Caron is not to be seen on that list. Why? Because she was convinced she wouldn't be in the top 50 so this morning I put all the lists thus far into a spreadsheet and proved that I was right and she was wrong.

I personally would love her to be number 42. Then I will certainly have to get my Towel out to celebrate.

However. It is quite tight with three Lib Dems in the 60s Liberal England is at number 62, I'm at 65 hence the title of this post and Jennie Rigg is at 68 (she may be wishing she were one place lower for a jokey title).

Doctor Packula is just ahead of us lot at 57 and Liberal Vision just ahead of him at 58. Meaning that there are 8 Lib Dem in the top 70. Sara Bedford's blog Always Win When You're Singing is in there too at 94 and Andrew Reeves the remaining blog from the Top Ten Lib Dems was at 105 in yesterday's list.

As for the Scots:

53 Cute Greek Baby
61 Bright Green Scotland
65 Me
73 Two Doctors
74 Subrosa
80 Malc in the Burgh
96 Alex Massie

Worryingly though with Slugger O'Toole only being at number 100 (down 49 on last year) I am in essence the top Northern Irish blogger.

Scottish Success in the Top 75

Earlier this evening Total Politics announced the top 75 Liberal Democrat blogs from a poll of over 2,200 blog readers. There was some good news for the Scottish Blogosphere.

First up the top woman is one of the Scots as Caron is at number 3. Little did I know when she first asked me 'How do I start a blog?' that she would climb to this height, only Lib Dem Voice and Mark Reckons.

She is not alone in the top ten this year. As with Scottish list I take her number 7 and Andrew Reeves is number 10 a climb of 9. Our top Councillor Fraser Macpherson from Dundee also in the top 20 at 18 up 13 luckily for him. So that is 20% of the people who can use this button are Scots.

Elsewhere however there are other Scots. Our general election candidate for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock James Taylor with his Liberal Thought blog is the one I'm envious of with his number 42 spot a new entry. He was omitted off the Scottish list but should have been another in the Scottish top 50. Liberal Youth Scotland climb 3 to 54, Edinburgh Cllr Paul Edie enters in the 69 position*, while Montrose Cllr David May is at 72, Aberdeen Cllr Ian Yuill is at 73 and former Angus candidate candidate Sanjay Samani brings up the rear at number 75.

That is ten of the top 75 hailing from north of the border. A very real sound of gunfire from up here, a real strengthening from 5 years ago when I was one of the few Scottish voices in the Lib Dem blogosphere.

Although I've also just heard that Mícheál has just submitted his blog to Ryan at Lib Dem blogs, so seeing as he's spurred on by the friendly competition I may not be the top Lib Dem blogger in Northern Ireland this time next year, just as for the last two years I haven't been top in West Lothian despite being second in Scotland.

But thank you for everyone who voted for me and all the other bloggers on this list. I now also know that if I'd been elected I would now be in the top 10 MPs blogs as well, ho hum. Of course last year I came 11th, 11th and then 101st overall. With two 7ths under my belt this year wouldn't it be strange if I was 77th overall.

* You didn't think I'd avoid double entendre there did you?

I'm In Seventh Heaven

It is indeed that time of year again. Total politics are currently in the middle of announcing the list of the Top Political Blogs for 2010.

Today it was the turn of one of the categories for which I am eligible that of the Top Scottish blog. For the past two years I have actually finished in eleventh place in Scotland on both occasions. This year however I am into the top ten at number 7, the spot held last year by my dear friend Caron, she has climbed to number 4. My spot for the last 2 years was so nearly taken by another Lib Dem Andrew Reeves is however only at number 12, journalist Alex Massie assumes the Stephen Glenn position.

Other Lib Dems in the list include Cllr Fraser Macpherson climbing 10 to 18 and Liberal Youth Scotland a new entry at 34. Another blog from Linlithgow and East Falkirk is that of Love & Garbage in at number 44.

Here is the top 10 political blogs in Scotland for 2010 (last year's position in brackets):

1 (1) Tom Harris MP
2 (3) Underdogs Bite Upwards
3 (2) SNP Tactical Voting
4 (7) Caron's Musings
5 (4) Mr Eugenides
6 Bright Green Scotland
7 (11) Stephen's Liberal Journal
8 (5) Two Doctors
9 Subrosa
10 (6) Malc in the Burgh

You can view the top 50 at the Total Politics site.

Of course heaven knows what nation/region list I'll qualify for next year.

My Top Ten for 2010

With voting over for the Total Politics top blogs and as I'm busy this weekend I thought I'd tell you just who it is that I did vote for. So in reverse order.

10. Eric Joyce's Blog - As much for the twitting that Eric does as well as the blogging. He has come to this lately and has shown that he has got the idea of being online. Of course as the agent of the Lib Dem candidate against him I had to answer the GE question about his meeting on the Digital Economy Act by saying "if he is re-elected".

9. Liberal Democrat Voice - Still the go to place for a range of Lib Dem and external views. The team has be bolstered this year and the Hon Lady Mark set a high standard as the first guest editor earlier this month.

8. Subrosa - Should have had one of my votes last year (though I did mention her in the Scottish review what I wrote) but she withdrew herself from consideration. Gives a differing view on things in Scotland, being of a more esteemed generation than most of us.

7. Cardiff Blogger - Is one of the Tory leaning Bloggers that I was able to keep reading even through the General Election campaign. If you haven't caught his and Arnie's weekly podcasts, where have you been? Sometimes irreverant, sometimes cutting edge, often very much tongue in cheek. Always cheeky.

6. Slugger O'Toole - The Lib Dem Voice best non-Lib Dem Blog of 2009. I know I had to make the imprumptu acceptance speech before handing it over to Mick Fealty on the Monday after the Total Politics fringe. The centre of Northern Irish political blogging. I expect my return there will see me contributing more to it in upcoming months.

5. The one, the only, the very fluffy Millennium Elephant - I know that both his Daddies must be very proud of how this 10 year old can write satire worthy of That Was the Week that Was. There were times when I thought how can I cover this political story with worthy words and Millennium would find the right slant, the right EMPHASIS, the tune that would make me smile even if I was angry with the actual story he was extrapolating.

4. Green SNP Tactical Voting - Jeff have moved to Nodnol but he is still somewhat focussed on Scottish politics, though recently his has joined his second politic party. Basically because the SNP are not going to be fighting his local MP and fellow blogger Lynne Featherstone.

3. Caron's Musings - I was worried that if Caron got better she would be less able to keep up the standard of blogging she got into when she was ill. I'm glad to say that the standard of both blogging and writer is doing great. Often Caron and me can find ourselves blogging about the same story at the same time. Yet from largely the same segment of the party will come up with a different way to portray it.

2. Mark Reckons - Very sadly earlier this week one of the most well researched blogs has taken his final bow. I know I'm not alone amogst Lib Dem bloggers in linking to him because he has often asnwered the question of the day in such a way that there is perceivable comeback. I know from personal experience how hard it is to keep up his quality and quantity of output, which sadly is the reason he is hanging up his keyboard.

1. Stephens Liberal Jounral - This is the first time I have ever voted for myself in a Blog of the Year poll. However, I do think I've had my best year, even if politics got in the way of blogging for part of it. I've throw punches in all sorts of directions and judging by the backlinks, comments and retweets many of them landed. I'm not going to match Mark for research or Millennium for satire but I have a niche between the two. Knowledgeable in certain areas but often with a barbed wit to make a point. Of just finding the right combination of words to make a point.

So there you have it my top 10 for last year. Normal service will be resumed shortly.

What Mark Thompson is After

Mark Thompson has just posted a rather timely reminder that there are only TWO days left to vote for your favourite blogs of 2010 in the Total Politics Best Blogs Poll 2010. Having just starting reading my copy of the magazine this morning. I had too good a time at Wagamama last night to start when I got in, I'd say very worth while.

The poll is run by Total Politics (backed by ) and for the second year running it is also being co-promoted/sponsored by Liberal Democrat Voice and LabourList.

A quick reminder or instruction as to the rules folks:

1. You must vote for your ten favourite blogs and ranks them from 1 (your favourite) to 10 (your tenth favourite).
2. Your votes must be ranked from 1 to 10. Any votes which do not have rankings will not be counted.
3. You MUST include at least FIVE blogs in your list, but please list ten if you can. If you include fewer than five, your vote will not count.
4. Email your vote to
5. Only vote once.
6. Only blogs based in the UK, run by UK residents or based on UK politics are eligible. No blog will be excluded from voting.
7. Anonymous votes left in the comments will not count. You must give a name
8. All votes must be received by midnight on 31 July 2010. Any votes received after that date will not count.

Mark says it would be rather spiffing if you voted for him, I say go ahead just as long as the following mathematical formula applies

Number beside Mark Reckons > Number beside Stephen's Liberal Journal (as per rule 2 above)

ie 2 Mark Reckons > 1 Stephen's Liberal Journal (simples - just remember to include at least another 3)

See having been working hard in the campaign trail I know that the higher the preference the better, preferably number one. I'm sure Mark would concur.

Why Wasn't I Call Adam or Something?

Somebody has only just come to my blog through the Total Politics list of Liberal Democrat bloggers. Now it must say something that when I first started you couldn't see the next Lib Dem blogger for the trees.

There is slight irony that my blog is currently located by alphabetical order on page 11 of the Liberal Democrat bloggers.

Don't forget it is time to vote in the Total Politic Blog of the Year



The rules are simple.

• 1. You must vote for your ten favourite blogs and ranks them from 1 (your favourite) to 10 (your tenth favourite).
• 2. Your votes must be ranked from 1 to 10. Any votes which do not have rankings will not be counted.
• 3. You MUST include at least FIVE blogs in your list, but please list ten if you can. If you include fewer than five, your vote will not count.
• 4. Email your vote to toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com
• 5. Only vote once.
• 6. Only blogs based in the UK, run by UK residents or based on UK politics are eligible. No blog will be excluded from voting.
• 7. Anonymous votes left in the comments will not count. You must give a name
• 8. All votes must be received by midnight on 31 July 2010. Any votes received after that date will not count.

I Could Be Shameless, But I'm a Little Vote Weary

You know I've spent too much of recent months asking people to vote for me.

First there was the Westminster election. Then there was the shortlisting panel for Edinburgh Central who in their wisdom made for a very interesting contest (including me). Then it was the Liberal Democrats of Edinburgh Central and it may not be over yet of course.

So therefore I'm all out of shamelessly asking people to vote for me. I know that in recent months I have been very busy with all of the above and this blog has suffered as a result. But as Iain Dale is asking for your votes for the annual Total Politics Blog of the Year Award may I ask one small favour.

I want to finish ahead of the Stephen Glenn Position©. This is about a full year and there has been some good stuff. As well as an awful lot of it. Like when I was laying into Jan Moir's unpology over her Stephen Gately comment. For the sake of balance I also laid into Stonewall for their hypocrisy about some gay people who wish, for whatever reason, to keep that private. There was also my concern over the extreme right American Family Association's personal hygiene over something they wrote.

Warning for Caron don't click next link*. There was also the story of Kerry Robertson and her baby Ben snatched from her in Ireland by Fife Council. I also stood up for Science in the face of Labour's flat earth society. And oh so much more.

But as ever dear reader I leave it up to you. After all some of you may be getting me asking you to for for me far too often over the next few months if you haven't already.

* At least not without copious amounts of tissues.

Time to Be Making Your Mind Up

It looks like those nice people at Total Politics have been raiding Mr Dale's record collection, at least I hope it was his and now mine. They've even picked up a Diamond and some Bucks Fizz.

But I see some of my favourite people in there. Some of the highlights, Harry Cole losing his skirt, Iain Dale failing his audition, plus Mark Thompson, Helen Duffet and others putting on their dancing shoes allegedly.

As nominations closed this evening the ballot papers will be getting made up shortly it really is time to make you mind up.

Bursting Dale's Bubble

Yesterday modesty almost forbid Mr Dale posting some glowing comments about himself from the Daily Mail including this (readers of a delicate anti-Dale deposition should look away now):

"There are many reasons to celebrate Iain Dale. The author, journalist and aspirant politician for the Conservative Party is not only a much-valued contributor to GQ, he’s also the publisher of Total Politics magazine and has become something of an online deity because of his celebrated blog, Iain Dale’s Diary."

Well of course Total Politics is holding its own Election Question Times* at a selection of City Inns.

• 4 February, Birmingham - Andrew Mitchell MP, Jacqui Smith MP, John Hemming MP, Marc Reeves (ex-editor Birmingham Post)
• 11 February, Manchester - Hazel Blears MP (tbc), Graham Bradley MP, Mark Hunter MP, David Ottewell (Manchester Evening News)
• 18 February, Leeds - David Davis MP, Hilary Benn MP (tbc), Greg Mulholland MP
• 25 February, London - Tony McNulty MP, Eric Pickles MP (tbc), Lynne Featherstone MP, Steve Richards (The Independent)

You notice something about that list?

Not a single venue is Scotland....and....not a single SNP panellist on any of them. But do I hear Alex Salmond up in arms? Was my February copy of Total Politics confiscated at the border in its clear sleeve? Are Nats taking Total Politics down from the shelves of WH Smiths across Scotland and burning this promoter of only the Unionist parties and their politics in the streets outside?

So I guess Iain Dale is just a minor deity. One that fails to register on the great ego that is Alex Salmond's radar. In the words of Terry Pratchett but a small god.

*Panel line-up may change without notice.

Nearly One Of the Best Blogs Thrice

Well I now have the complete set. This blog is now official nearly one of the best blogs.

After coming 11th in Scotland, then 11th Lib Dem, this morning I complete the set of being a nearly blog by being 101st in the Overall Total Politics Tops Blogs List 2009. Never in the history of political blogger has one blog come so close, so often to being in the lists that everyone decides to copy and paste. Yes folks one spot away from fame on all three counts.

Thank you everyone for reading and voting to make this minor mathematical miracle come to pass. Congratulations to the 10 Lib Dem and Scottish Blogs that did make it into in the top 100, well done all 19 of you. Yes, the maths is correct Caron was in both lists.

Indeed I'm also proud of the fact that Caron has be shortlisted for Lib Dem Blog of the year, also announced this morning. Also Cllr Fraser MacPherson and Willie Rennie MP are representing Scotland in the Best Blog by an Elected Representative category. Jo Swinon's tweeting may have made the 3rd page of Soctland on Sunday at the weekend but it has also earned her a place in the Best use of blogging/social networking/e-campaigning by a Lib Dem category. I'm sort of represented in a very small percentage in the fact that Northern Irish blog Slugger O'Toole to which I contribute and insiders outside looking perspective from time to time make the best non-Lib Dem Blog category.

I know that a few of my readers said they were nominating me for those awards, so thank you, even though I did not make any of the shortlists. Also thanks for all the vote in the Total Politics poll I went up in every category bar the Scottish where I stayed at 11th. I hope you have had an educational, inspirational and thought provoking year reading this blog, and even the odd laugh. I'll do my best to ensure that you continue to do so over the coming year.

P.S. Oh and look out for my piece on the Scottish Blogosphere in the book.

Are Lib Dem Voice Readers Headline Whores?

I called on Queen Caron of the house of Haggis, Neeps and Liberalism on Friday night. When I called at the Royal residence I said that I thought, correctly it turns out, that this would make it into the top seven of this week's Lib Dem Voice Golden Dozen. It is not in my opinion my best blog entry of the week, I'd say instead that these two about the release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Magrahi are far better pieces of blogging, and indeed got a far broader (geographical and political spectrum) selection of readers.

I was looking at my google analytics for the week and taking into account the Dale effect of a Daley Dozen mention the number five Lib Dem post on outlinks is not even my most popular read of the week. The former of the two al-Magrahi posts is, prior to Scottish Round Up and Golden Dozen Sunday night distortion. It's not just both Caron and Andrew wrote excellent takes on different aspects* of the biggest world-wide story of the week, yet it is my correction of that young blogger from Pendle that makes the Dozen because it used his name.

LDV readers may mock those of the Daily Fail, yet they are still dragged into the sensationalist headlines rather than the real meaty stories. Now I know that many LDV users, especially my fellow bloggers, link to my blog entries by other means so I know a lot of you did find the al-Magarhi stories. But maybe it is the casual user of Lib Dem Blogs that causes this trend. Looking at the recent Golden Ton I can think of many well written Lib Dem blog postings that are more worthy of being there, although there are many of the Dozen that are worthy.

Of course the Lib Dem Voice Best Blogpost of the Year is one category where even a one off piece of sensationally good writing can be rewarded. Many of us, even if we are being mentioned by the odd individuals as the best blog, are considering the Blog of the Year to be down to three serious contenders, which may mean the Pachyderm packs his trunk without the award again, but the Blogpost award is far harder to predict and I suspect to judge. Will it be one of those read heavily at the time, maybe it will be a nominated entry into the Dozen or maybe it won't even have been featured at all?

There are times that the statistician in me is upset that a good, well crafted post doesn't get the coverage I think it deserves, whereas by some quirk of fate, linkage or random pick up something soars to the heavens in hits. But I'll keep writing the way I do, it's clearly upset a few people this year from the lack of repeat votes for the Total Politics Poll of Blogs, where my relative ranking shocked a number of people including Her Majesty Queen Caron. But as Andrew said, 'Stephen didn't tout for votes and his daily readership is enormous, which is a way better result for him.'

Having a large readership often means you don't blog it safe, you take on the big issues, indeed the other big bloggers, head on, you're bound to upset people along the way. With an election year that is only bound to continue after all policy will be getting written about and I know I'm going to be challenging the other parties more not less, taking the debate in directions they may not want exposed, but that is what debate is all about. Besides after all you can only please all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time but not all of the people all of the time.

I'm personally looking forward to a year of keeping up the quality, keeping up the debate, keeping up challenging ideas not just of the other parties, but illiberal thoughts from fellow liberals. How often or how long I can get to it when the election gets closer is something I've yet to see, but I will not duck out for political expediency of that dear reader you can be assured.

*Caron and I taking international abuse for our opinions.

I Relinguish my Crown......For Now

The Total Politics Top 50 Scottish Blogs have just been released on the Web. Tom Harris MP retains his top spot over the strong challenge of SNP Tactical Voting* who supersedes the falling Greek Baby down to 4th as Underdog Bites Upwards takes the final podium spot.

On the Lib Dem front we have a new top blogger in my good friend Caron climbing 23 to 7th heaven. I am a non-mover at eleven again this year. Just can't break into that top 10, although I was getting worried after I failed to appear on a number of the published Scottish bloggers top ten votes that I'd been on last year. So I probably have to thank more of my non-Scottish readers this year (of course the votes that did come from Soctland are also appreciated). I also know I shan't be top Lib Dem blogger in the UK this year.

The rest of the Top 10 (ie the blogs that voters think is better than this):

5 (8) Two Doctors GP
6 (28) Malc in the Burgh
8 (NE) Yappinng Yousuf LA
9 (NE) Scottish Unionist NA
10 (4) J Arthur MacNumpty NA

Also flying the Lib Dem bird are Andrew Reeves up 18 19 to 18 17, Bernard Salmon up 4 5 to 25 24, new entry Willie Rennie MP at 26 25, Fraser MacPherson the top Scottish Councillor is at 29 28 a drop of 7 6. Iain Dale (ours) is at a respectable 39 38 seeing he hasn't blogged a lot recently and Katy Gordon is at 46 45. The Young Uns probably need a little more frequency in their infrequent blogging, although they have had some cracking posts this year. All in all not a bad Lib Dem showing, apart from Ruaraidh, Callum and Kieran.

Although Iain Dale is at it again this year making Freedom and Whisky a Lib Dem when he's an SNP voting Libertarian and Peter Cranie Green MEP for the North West is in the Scottish list at 12. So everyone behind me move up one spot (unless someone like Greener Leith maybe should be there).

I've also now wound up Jeff by linking through to all the Lib Dems in Scotland with correct spellings to aid their Wikio rankings.

I'm off to console myself by looking at how stupid my blind write up of the MacBlogopshere for the book looks in comparison to how the list turned out.

UPDATE: Andrew Reeves seems to be in more shock than me with the outcome, so much so he neglects to congratulate Caron in this blog post: surely an oversight. Though he does have kind words about me. I'd just like to assure our Director of Campaigns that I am capable of 'touting for votes' where it really matters in this election year.

UPDATE 2: I see after causing a 4 letter DM via Twitter from Dale Towers that Peter Cranie has been removed from the Scottish list. I've put a not on my google calendar to remind him not to copy and paste the same designation for the Green MEP again next July.

*He deserves all the links he gets after this.

Fraser MacPherson Top Lib Dem and Top Scottish Councillor Blogger

Total politics have released the top 30 councillor's blogs and I'd like to congratulate my Lib Dem colleague Fraser MacPherson for coming in at number 16.

This makes his top Lib Dem ahead of Brain Robson, Anders Hanson and the councillor for my old ward from University days Mary Reid at 28, 28 and 30 respectively.

He is also if my reckoning is right top Scottish Councillor Blog ahead of Andrew Burns at 19 and Ewan Aitkens* at 21. So no right wing councillor blog for us north of the Border in the

So well done to one the the Haggis, Neeps and Liberalism team on doing do well in the Councillor's list on the Total Politics Poll. In total alongside the 4 Lib Dems there are 9 Labour, 14 Conservative, 2 Plaid Cymru and 1 non-alligned counillors making up the top 30.

Personally I do think it is shame that there are no SNP councillors in that list, but then I can't think out of all the plethora of SNP blogs that there is a councillor amongst them.

*Labour man Ewan is listed as Conservative on the list whoops. Correction has been sent off to Mr Dale.

Ten Political Blogs That have Rocked Your Year

Yes folks it is that time of year again and once again the Blogfather Iain Dale is organising that great big love in of the web the 2009 Total Politics Guide to Political Blogging sponsored/promoted by LabourList and LibDemVoice.

The rules are largely the same as last year's mass participation event.

1. You must vote for your ten favourite blogs and ranks them from 1 (your favourite) to 10 (your tenth favourite).
2. Your votes must be ranked from 1 to 10. Any votes which do not have rankings will not be counted.
3. You MUST include ten blogs. If you include fewer than ten your vote will not count.
4. Email your vote to toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com
6. Only blogs based in the UK, run by UK residents are eligible or based on UK politics are eligible.
7. Anonymous votes left in the comments will not count. You must give a name
8. All votes must be received by midnight on 31 July 2009. Any votes received after that date will not count.

Iain is asking us not to list a 10 on our blogs to encourage others to vote for them, so if you want to see my list you're going to have to wait until August the 1st, which is just as well as I have other things to do in the meantime. Of course if you like what I've done over the last 12 months all votes will be willingly accepted and appreciated, after all I have high standards to keep up and improve on from last year.

However, what I would suggest is no matter what your political hue you vote outside you political frame of refernece. This is about good blogging and that isn't about partisan politics. Looking at the way a lot of my good blopgging friends voted last year that was certainly the way the votes went. The Scottish Bloggers especially seem to realise that.

So I'm off to give my 10 a good hard think. No matter what 10 I chose somebody is going to be disappointed so I'm going to think long and hard to get the best 10 that I have read in the last 12 months, considering I've read over 40 very good blogs this week already.