That time of year - Top 10 Political Blogs

Email your ten favourite blogs (ranked from 1-10) to toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com

It's that time of year again, when Total Politics asks you to vote for your Top 10 favourite blogs. The votes will be compiled and included in the forthcoming book, the Total Politics Guide to Blogging 2009-10, which will be published in September. This year the poll is being promoted/sponsored by LabourList and LibDemVoice as well as this blog.

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 ten blogs. If you include fewer than ten 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 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.

If you have your own blog, please do encourage your readers to take part. Last year, more than 80 blogs did so. We hope this year it will be far more than that. BUT, DO NOT list ten blogs you think your readers should vote for. Any duplicate voting of this nature will be disallowed. If you do not wish for your blog to be voted for please email katy.scholes@totalpolitics.com. Here's the code to add to your blog sidebar or blogpost to feature the grahic above with an automatic clickthru to the instruction page...

The results of the poll will be published in the forthcoming book the TOTAL POLITICS GUIDE TO POLITICAL BLOGGING IN THE UK which will be published in mid September in association with APCO Worldwide.

So, go to it. Email your Top Ten Favourite Blogs totoptenblogs@totalpolitics.com

Contrarian blogging - in somebody else’s comments box (an example)

As it's a quiet Friday in the office and I wasn't planning on a lengthy post myself, thought I'd pick up on what I read in the comments section of a post the other day. Interesting comment made by Matt Wardman in the comments section of "Welsh business not confident in Assembly Government".

The post in question is about the economy and Welsh businesses showing no confidence in the actions of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Number of comments for this post is 33. Number of comments on topic, 8. This leaves the number of comments speculating as to who I am as 25, which is typical given all the rumour and gossip I've been hearing lately.

Matt has posted on a wide range of topics since he first started blogging, particularly in the area of blogging and freedom of speech. Thought I'd share his comment and original post with you. Makes you wonder!

This may sound like a strange idea, but there can be considerable benefit in letting part of your blog be hosted on somebody else’s site - in their comments box. You get the benefit of a possibly wider audience - and therefore lots of attention.

Chris Paul has had a “sceptical about Tories” blog since before I started, and it is hosted in Iain Dale ’s comments box. I reckon that he gets his largest readership from this “alternative” not the real one hosted at Labour of Love; it has something like 350 entries.

The unputdownable Dr Irene Lancaster FRSA has developed a whole series of pro-Israel blogs in the comments of (for example) Ruth Gledhills blog (228 entries to date) and the Spectator (42 entries so far),

There are certain limitations, such as your alternative blog posts having to have some distant relation to the subject under conversation - but that doesn’t seem to slow some people down.

If you select your host correctly, you can even develop an anonymous blog. Guido provides an “anonymous blog hosting service” in his comments box. In this case it is an “anonymous” group blog with more than 4000 entries .

It’s one approach to think about on a Bank Holiday.

Total Politics Results: Top 100 UK Political Blogs

Five Welsh blogs (numbers 58, 59, 61, 72 and 79) have made it into Iain Dale's Top 100 UK Political Blogs list for his Guide to Political Blogging in the UK 2008-9. Last year's position is in brackets.

1. (2) Guido Fawkes

2. (1) Iain Dale

3. (4) Conservative Home

4. (3) Dizzy Thinks

5. (-) Political Betting

6. (-) Devil's Kitchen

7. (9) Spectator Coffee House

8. (12) Burning our Money

9. (42) John Redwood

10. (14) Ben Brogan

11. (20) EU Referendum

12. (15) Tim Worstall

13. (-) Tom Harris MP

14. (13) Archbishop Cranmer

15. (54) LibDem Voice

16. (16) Mr Eugenides

17. (-) Hopi Sen

18. (85) Daniel Hannan MEP

19. (-) Three Line Whip

20. (70) Stumbling & Mumbling

21. (35) Donal Blaney

22. (128) Boulton & Co

23. (-) Liberal Conspiracy

24. (8) Nick Robinson

25. (-) People's Republic of Mortimer

26. (11) Recess Monkey

27. (56) Adam Smith Institute

28. (27) Comment Central

29. (72) Luke Akehurst

30. (47) Waendel Journal

31. (38) LabourHome

32. (30) Ministry of Truth

33. (22) Tom Watson MP

34. (33) Nadine Dorries MP

35. (46) Dave's Part

36. (-) Letters from a Tory

37. (17) Norfolk Blogger

38. (-) Shane Greer

39. (-) Sadie's Tavern

40. (45) Samizdata

41. (32) Slugger O'Toole

42. (111) A Very British Dude

43. (21) Harry's Place

44. (-) SNP Tactical Voting

45. (61) Quaequam Blog

46. (104) UK Polling Report

47. (182) Socialist Unity

48. (59) Daily Referendum

49. (53) Liberal England

50. (172) Lynne Featherstone MP

51. (18) Paul Linford

52. (68) City Unslicker/Capitalists at Work

53. (51) Our Kingdom

54. (-) Labour Outlook

55. (63) Millennium Dome Elephant

56. (155) Paul Scully

57. (-) A Very Public Sociologist

58. (90) Peter Black AM

59. (78) Glyn Davies

60. (195) Obsolete

61. (99) Ordovicius

62. (-) UK Libertarian Party

63. (40) Biased BBC

64. (7) Croydonian

65. (69) James Cleverly

66. (-) Is There More to Life Than Shoes

67. (-) J Arthur MacNumpty

68. (120) Normblog

69. (-) Raedwald

70. (-) Three Thousand Versts

71. (-) Tory Bear

72. (-) Miss Wagstaff Presents

73. (52) Bloggers4Labour

74. (-) Pint of Unionist Lite

75. (151) Theo's Blog

76. (-) Kezia Dugdale's Soapbox

77. (71) Beau Bo D'Or

78. (25) Bob Piper

79. (-) David Cornock

80. (-) Forgesian Thinking

81. (-) Heresy Corner

82. (103) Love & Liberty

83. (125) The Daily (Maybe)

84. (161) Peter Hitchens

85. (81) Melanie Phillips

86. (0) Redemption's Son

87. (10) Ellee Seymour

88. (0) Lenin's Tomb

89. (83) Liberal Burblings

90. (-) Scottish Tory Boy

91. (-) Stuart King

92. (86) Matt Wardman

93. (34) Pickled Politics

94. (0) Ewan Watt

95. (41) An Englishman's Castle

96. (0) Centre Right

97. (0) Never Trust a Hippy

98. (0) Red Box

99. (76) Chris Paul's Labour of Love

100. (50) Last Ditch

The full list and entire series can be followed by clicking on the following link to Iain Dale's Diary.

Total Politics Results: Top 100 Right of Centre Blogs

Five Welsh blogs have made it into Iain Dale's Top 100 Right of Centre Blogs list for his Guide to Political Blogging in the UK 2008-9.

28. Glyn Davies
85. Lone Voice
95. David Jones MP
98. Linguanaut
99. The Right Student

The full list and entire series can be followed by clicking on the following link to Iain Dale's Diary.

Total Politics Results: Top 100 Left of Centre Blogs

Nine Welsh blogs have made it into Iain Dale's Top 100 Left of Centre Blogs list for his Guide to Political Blogging in the UK 2008-9.

19. Ordovicius
35. Bethan Jenkins AM
39. Adam Price MP
47. Cynical Dragon
59. Guerrilla Welsh-fare
60. Welsh Ramblings
73. Blog Menai
87. Amlwch to Magor
90. Paul Flynn

I would never have described The Cynical Dragon as left of centre.

The full list and entire series can be followed by clicking on the following link to Iain Dale's Diary.

The Editorial Policy of Leighton Andrews AM

The blog of Leighton Andrews AM - holding up the fine tradition of blogging Ministers:

Editorial Policy
This blog does not publish anonymous comments, unless they are really witty and I like them. If you have something to say, then have the courage of your convictions and use your name or an identifiable alias. Even then I reserve the right not to publish comments that are malicious, defamatory, stupid, pointlessly cynical or boring.

There are very few [no] comments on the 'Look at Me' blog of Leighton Andrews AM, and that's only if you include the posts on Cardiff City FC. Senedd Whip demands to have him removed from the No. 33 spot on Iain Dale's list of Top-40 Welsh Blogs. Partly for its pointless use of space on the web, and mainly for being the definitive boring political blog.

Comment of the Week

It seems that life doesn't begin at 40, according to one reader that commented upon Iain Dale's announcement of the Total Politics Top 40 Welsh Blogs:

Being no 40 on a list of Welsh bloggers is quite a thing. To receive such an accolade is a bit like being singled out as the 40th most pro-democracy member of the Chinese politburo or the 40th most attractive check-out girl in the Croydon branch of Tesco! Respect. Ha ha consider who is number 40 that's probably the most accurate thing ever written.

No. 40. Martin Eaglestone

Martin, don't listen to them [him]!

Total Politics Results: Top 50 LibDem Blogs

Two Welsh blogs have made it into Iain Dale's Top 50 LibDem Blogs list for his Guide to Political Blogging in the UK 2008-9.

8. Peter Black AM
19. Dib Lemming

The full list and entire series can be followed by clicking on the following link to Iain Dale's Diary.

Total Politics Results: Top 40 Welsh Blogs

Forty Welsh blogs [a high number, I thought] have made it into Iain Dale's Top 40 Welsh Blogs list for his Guide to Political Blogging in the UK 2008-9.

As Iain puts it "Plaid Cymru will be pleased with their showing in the Welsh Top Blogs list, with 18 of the 40 places going to nationalist blogs." Those Nationalists have far too much time on their hands!

1. Peter Black AM
2. Glyn Davies
3. Ordovicius
4. Miss Wagstaff Presents
5. David Cornock
6. Miserable Old Fart
7. Cambria Politico
8. Bethan Jenkins AM
9. Betsan Powys
10. Adam Price MP
11. Cynical Dragon
12. Vaughan Roderick
13. Guerilla Welsh Fare
14. Valleys Mam
15. Welsh Ramblings
16. Dib Lemming
17. Hen Rech Flin
18. Blog Menai
19. Lone Voice
20. Amlwch to Magor
21. Welsh Blog Index
22. David Jones MP
23. Paul Flynn MP
24. 07.25 to Paddington
25. Borthlas
26. Blog Dafael
27. John Moorcraft
28. Andrew Nutt
29. Ceredig
30. Nicolas Webb
31. Dylan Jones-Evans
32. Inside Out @ Swansea
33. Leighton Andrews AM
34. Elfyn Llwyd
35. Huw Lewis AM
36. Jill Evans MEP
37. Gwilym Euros Roberts
38. New Welsh Right
39. Independence Cymru
40. Martin Eaglestone

The full list and entire series can be followed by clicking on the following link to Iain Dale's Diary.

Total Politics Results: Non Aligned Blogs

Three Welsh blogs have made it into Iain Dale's Top 20 Non Aligned Blogs list for his Guide to Political Blogging in the UK 2008-9.

6. Miss Wagstaff Presents
9. Cambria Politico
10. Miserable Old Fart

This list excludes Media blogs.

The full list and entire series can be followed by clicking on the following link to Iain Dale's Diary.

Total Politics Results: MP Blogs

Four Welsh MP blogs have made it into Iain Dale's Top 20 MP Blogs list for his Guide to Political Blogging in the UK 2008-9.

6. Adam Price MP
10. David Jones MP
11. Paul Flynn MP
15. Elfyn Llwyd MP

Elfyn Llwyd blogging!?!

The full list and entire series can be followed by clicking on the following link to Iain Dale's Diary.

Total Politics Results: Green Blogs

No Welsh Green blogs have made it into Iain Dale's Top 20 Green Blogs list for his Guide to Political Blogging in the UK 2008-9.

It seems that we only eat greens in Wales.

The full list and entire series can be followed by clicking on the following link to Iain Dale's Diary.

Total Politics Results: Media Blogs

Four Welsh Media blogs have made it into Iain Dale's Top 30 Media Blogs list for his Guide to Political Blogging in the UK 2008-9.

8. David Cornock (BBC, though not an official one)
12. Betsan Powys (BBC)
13. Vaughan Roderick (BBC)
20. 07:25 to Paddington (Western Mail)

The full list and entire series can be followed by clicking on the following link to Iain Dale's Diary.

Iain Dale's Total Politics: Last Chance to Vote

Iain Dale's TOTAL POLITICS is asking for your votes to decide the Top 100 UK Political Blogs.

How to Vote:

• Either email your Top Ten (ranked from 1 to 10) to toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com (Please type Top 10 in the subject line)
• Or you can leave your Top Ten in the Comments section of Iain Dale's post (you must be logged in to blogger).

Total Politics and Iain Dale will then compile the Top 100 from those that you send in. Just order them from 1 to 10. Your top blog gets 10 points and your tenth gets 1 point.

The deadline for submitting your Top 10 is Friday August 15th.

Once all the entries are in a lucky dip draw will take place and the winner will be sent £100 worth of political books!

The rules are simple:
1. Please only vote once
2. Only blogs based in the UK, run by UK residents are eligible or based on UK politics are eligible
3. Votes must be cast before Friday 15 August
4. Blogs chosen must be listed in the Total Politics Blog Directory.
5. You must send a list of TEN blogs, ranked. Any entry containing fewer than ten blogs will not count.
6. Anonymous votes left in the comments will not count. You must give a name

Link to Welsh blogs
Link to All Political blogs

Two weeks to go

There are two weeks left to get your votes in. Don't forget to vote for some Welsh blogs.

Total Politics: 2008-9 Guide to Political Blogging in the UK

In early September TOTAL POLITICS, in association with APCO WORLDWIDE will publish the 2008-9 Guide to Political Blogging in the UK. It will contain articles on blogging by some of Britain's leading bloggers, together with a directory of UK political blogs, and a series of Top 20s and Top 10s. The book will be available at the Green Party, TUC, Labour, LibDem and Tory Conferences, where TOTAL POLITICS will have exhibition stands.

We're asking for your votes to decide the Top 100 UK Political Blogs. Simply email your Top Ten (ranked from 1 to 10) to toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com.

If you have a blog, please encourage your readers to do the same. Total Politics and Iain Dale will then compile the Top 100 from those that you send in. Just order them from 1 to 10. Your top blog gets 10 points and your tenth gets 1 point.

The deadline for submitting your Top 10 is Friday August 15th.

Please type Top 10 in the subject line. Or you can of course leave your Top 10 in the Comments on this post.Once all the entries are in a lucky dip draw will take place and the winner will be sent £100 worth of political books!

The rules are simple:
1. Please only vote once
2. Only blogs based in the UK, run by UK residents are eligible or based on UK politics are eligible
3. Votes must be cast before Friday 15 August
4. Blogs chosen must be listed in the Total Politics Blog Directory.
5. You must send a list of TEN blogs, ranked. Any entry containing fewer than ten blogs will not count.
6. Anonymous votes left in the comments will not count. You must give a name

So, once again, the email address to send your TOP TEN BLOGS to is... toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com

Link to Welsh blogs

Bloggers put Wales in political spotlight

Too busy with work and the family lately to notice these kind words from Iain Dale "who runs one of the country’s most influential blogs"

Mr Dale sees blogs not as a way to sway mass opinion but as a means to introduce new ideas to debates.

He said: “It’s an incredibly liberating experience for ordinary people who might have an interest in politics.”

He follows the discussions on 38 Welsh blogs

Of those 38, I’d say a good half are done by ordinary people who have no record of party-political activism,” he said. His favourite is by former Conservative AM Glyn Davies, but he has respect for Liberal Democrat AM Peter Black. Peter Black’s is the one I’ve been reading longest. His blog is interesting because he won’t just come out with the Lib-Dem spin. He gives real views on things. If people think you’re just mouthing your party line they won’t be interested.

He considers Labour MP Paul Flynn’s “excellent” and regularly reads Ordovicius, Miss Wagstaff Presents and Valleys Mam.

Thanks for the endorsement Iain.