Total Politics Blog Poll

If I have any readers left, can I point you to the button on the sidebar that will take you to the Total Politics poll of best blogs 2010.  As usual, this is being run by Total Politics and promoted by Iain Dale, Labour List and Lib Dem Voice.  Some rules you may need to know:  


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 finished fourth in Scotland last year, but was much more active than I have been recently, so I'm not expecting much.  Indeed, I'm not even going to ask for your vote.  All I'm suggesting is that if you read blogs, you may want to vote.  Go on... 

Read more...

My Top Ten Blogs of 2009

Took me a wee while thinking about this, but here is my selection for the Total Politics Best Blogs of 2009 poll. I don't think I'm breaking any rules by letting you know who I voted for - I think its an open and transparent way of voting. Plus, its not like I'm telling you who to vote for - just letting you know which ones I'd voted for - an opinion if you will (which is, in essence, what blogging is all about).

I've based my list on a couple of criteria: the frequency with which I check the blogs, the quality of the posting, the writing style and the reaction they evoke in me.

Apologies in advance to those that I have not included in my ten but the problem with a top 10 is just that: there are only ten spots available. Though there might have been only nine had I opted out of the honorable and chosen to vote for myself. At the end of the day though, for me that's just not cricket.

In reverse order then:

#10 Planet Politics
Stuart tells it as he sees it, doesn't really pull any punches, and has a way with words (see this post for a catchy title).

#9 Stephen's Linlithgow Journal
As much as I enjoy taking the wind out this particular Lib Dem's sails, the man's dedication to blogging/ tweeting is immense. Liberal and amusing with it - which is not always the case with these liberal types!

#8 Tory Bear
Right-wing political gossip, right enough. And good on TV. And in person too.

#7 Scottish Unionist
I know, I know. I mean, I don't really like the subject matter, or the fact that he is broadcasting it quite so loudly. But Scottish Unionist does a great job of exposing the dark side of politics and, when he's commenting and not just selectively quoting, the writing is pretty good. See for yourself.

#6 Iain Dale's Diary
The Blogfather. It's something he does so well that it is difficult not to pick him in my 10. There's something good on it 6 days out of 7. Or something like that.

#5 Caron's Musings
From politics to Formula 1 to trash tv, rounding up some good blog posts... oh yeah, and supporting my marathon effort, Caron's blog has everything you'll ever need to know about anything. Just a shame she's a Lib Dem really... ;)

#4 Yapping Yousuf
I've been really impressed with the progress Yousuf's blog has made in the last year. Yes, it is punctuated with the occasional partisan rant but Yousuf has really made Labour blogging in Scotland his own. Credit where its due - its not an easy job, especially at the moment, and the guy does well. Wee bit less partisan and he might have been a spot or two higher...

#3 J. Arthur MacNumpty
Credit to Will for having the patience to do what no one else can be bothered with and actually reading the official report. Every week. His weekly reports on votes are a good way of taking stock of how the week has gone at Holyrood and those posts are regularly punctuated with well thought out and provocative comments on the big political issues of the day. It really is an excellent read - I'd love to see him blog more frequently but I understand his problem on that score (I'm really not one to talk at the moment!).

#2 Two Doctors
James brings his own inimitable style to the blogosphere with a Green-liberal-left take on Scottish politics (and politics further afield). It's a cracking read and one which shows a maturity of thought not always associated with green politics. But then the Greens are not now the radicals they once were. Anyway, a cracking read and worthy of a high placing in this years listing.

#1 SNP Tactical Voting
There can be only one. No, not Tom Harris. I said when I voted for him last year that "The sheer volume of posts (and the quality) make Jeff's SNP Tactical Voting blog essential dailly reading. Some thoughtful posts on wider society, Scotland and local politics make it an interesting mix." That hasn't changed at all. Apart from maybe pushing the SNP line a little more than he used to. Still my top Scottish blog.

So there we are. Those are my selections. Leanings: 2 Nats, 2 Tory, 2 Lib Dems, 1 Green, 1 Labour, 1 Anti-Nat and 1 Anti-Politics. I think I read a fair selection of blogs!

Honorable mentions to other blogs I read fairly frequently including Subrosa (who has apparently opted out of the voting) Holyrood Patter, Doctor Vee, Ideas of Civilisation (who appears to be on sabbatical), Lallands Peat Worrier, Kezia Dugdale (who took a brief break) and, of course, Scottish Tory Boy (who has just returned from his hiatus). All cracking reads too.

Again, these are my selections and I'm not telling you to vote for these or any other blogs. I just wanted to share with you my thoughts on the blogosphere and the quality within.

Read more...

Total Politics Best Blogs of 2009

As you may have read elsewhere on the Scottish blogosphere, Iain Dale is looking for your votes for the best blogs in Britain again. Here are is Iain's spiel:


"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 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.

There are many ways of measuring a blog's popularity. Wikio and Technorati have complicated logarithms which measure the importance of incoming links and traffic. Google Analytics does it by measuring how many people visit. But the TP poll gives blog readers the opportunity to vote for the ones they like and visit most often. It's not scientific. It's impossible to achieve 100% balance and no one pretends it's perfect.

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 to toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com"

I will publicly list the 10 I've voted for just as soon as I've decided on which blogs they are. Please do not take that as a suggestion that you should vote for those same blogs, merely that those are my preferences/ favourites/ whatever. Oh, and if any of you feel that you wish to vote for Malc in the Burgh, I humbly appreciate your vote!

Read more...