Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Your Top 20 Political Blogs Please

Take Part & Win £100 worth of Political DVDs!


In September Harriman House will publish the 2007 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.

Instead of me picking my Top 100 UK political blogs (as I did last year) I'd like fellow bloggers and blog readers to send me their Top 20 UK Political Blogs by email. I'll then compile the Top 100 from those that you send in. Just order them from 1 to 20. Your top blog gets 20 points and your twentieth gets 1 point.

The deadline for submitting your Top 20 to me is August 15th. Please email me your list to iain AT iaindale DOT com and type Top 20 in the subejct line. Or you can of course leave your Top 20 in the Comments on this post. UPDATE: You don't have to send 20, but try to do 10 as a minimum.

If you have a blog, please feel free to encourage your own readers to take part.

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

UPDATE Tue 9am: So far more than 300 different blogs have been nominated!

UPDATE Thr 7pm: More than 470 blogs have now been nominated. Nearly 350 people have voted so far. Why don't you join them?

80 comments:

Theo Spark said...

Me, there is some politics. Honest!!!

Unknown said...

Does it have to be a top 20? These are the 14 political blogs from my Google Reader Top 40...

1. Guido Fawkes - order-order.com
2. Iain Dale - iaindale.blogspot.com
3. Dizzy Thinks - dizzythinks.net
4. Nick Robinson - blogs.bbc.co.uk/nickrobinson
5. sjhoward.co.uk - sjhoward.co.uk
6. James O'Malley - jamesomalley.co.uk
7. PM - bbc.co.uk/blogs/pm
8. RecessMonkey - recessmonkey.com
9. Adam Boulton - adamboulton.typepad.com
10. Craig Murray - craigmurray.co.uk
11. Dr Crippen - nhsblogdoc.blogspot.com
12. Dirty Leftie - leftblogs.org.uk
13. Evanomics - bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/evandavis
14. Mark Mardell - bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markmardell

Anonymous said...

Whilst we're at this, are you doing a Fantasy Premier League comp again this year Iain?

Iain Dale said...

Andrew, yes, funnily enough I am sorting it out now.

Anonymous said...

Good stuff Iain

Anonymous said...

I don't think I'll be submitting a list. I won't be buying the book. Who really cares about Top 20s and Top 10s anyway? I prefer to read all types of blogs, politically biased (like yours) and politically impartial (like my own) and decide for myself whether they are interesting or not. And besides, everyone in the blogging world knows which ones are good and which ones aren't without needing to consult a book.

Sea Shanty Irish said...

a vote for yer rankings for:

1. Iain Dale's Diary

And as a proud Mick (is there any other kind?) will also nominate:

2. Slugger O'Toole
3. Politics.ie

Now I can hear a horde of yer blue-haired ladies (though based on yer bloggers am convinced that many of these old women are actually 40-something males) that the Irish have no place in a UK listing.

Strangely enough, these shill voices are being seconded by hard-line republican dead-enders (not the core supporters of the Cheney administration: those are dead-HEADS).

MY ARGUMENT FOR INCLUDING THEM is that they both provide extensive and useful coverage of Northern Ireland politics, where the last time I checked the Union Jack still flies . . . though I wouldn't waste time looking for it flapping in the breeze over the Falls Road, the Bog, Newry, Glens of Antrim, etc.

Let me confess me secret shame: personally believe that one fine day, this will be the case: thata all of these places, plus Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Muff, Ballykissmedingle (OK, I made up one of these) will be proud parts of the Irish Republic AND the United Kingdom AND the British Commonwealth AND the European Union AND the United Nations AND a Planet Earth where we aren't all trying to kill each other ever 15 minutes.

PS - Would like to give honorable mention to

--ElectionsIreland.org

This isn't a blog, but it IS a compendium of facts and figures on Irish elections since 1918 including local, Storemont, Assembly, Westminster and European elections in Northern Ireland. Check it out!

Theo Spark said...

Yes Baldrick we all know the ones to avoid!!

Unknown said...

Vote Rogue Gunner he tells it as it is with no frills, aint that right Iain?

Ted Foan said...

Wot? No mention of Chris Paul and The Hitch?

Oh, no, you said political blogs, didn't you.

Does Newmonia count?

Pity Verity doesn't have a blog, though.

What about a companion list of the most prolific commentators on political blogs? I am sure Chris Paul would buy it to see if he had won the most in(s)ane category.

Old BE said...

Pity Verity doesn't have a blog, though.

An acquired taste, perhaps...

I only have about 15 blogs on my politics list including The Hitch and "Newmoania" so maybe I could sneek into 19th or 20th???

:-)

Ted Foan said...

Ed said (2:50am):
"I only have about 15 blogs on my politics list including The Hitch and "Newmoania" so maybe I could sneek (sic) into 19th or 20th???"

I doubt it Ed. If you think Hitch is a political blog then you may not be aware of its links to the BNP - Colonel Bloodstock, for example. Not a nice group of people.

As for Newmania, he is an enthusiastic Cameron supporter (as am I) but tends to ramble in my opinion.

Old BE said...

One doesn't have to agree with a blog's politics to read it and be challenged by it.

Tom Paine said...

1. Burning our Money (the most important blog in Britain doing single-handedly what the media fails to do)
2. Ellee Seymour
3. Iain Dale
4. Guido Fawkes
5. Dizzy Thinks
6. Westminster Wisdom
7. ContraTory (sparse but spot on)
8. The Policeman's Blog (his bosses will be upset, but he is making political points whether he means to or not)
9. Croydonian (the wittiest)
10. The Devil's Kitchen (would be higher if he hadn't taken to verbosity as well as UKIPpery.

Jean-Luc Picard said...

I only know the delightful Ellee Seymour.

http://elleeseymour.com/

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Ellee Seymour
Guido
Westminster Wisdom

Maalie said...

The only political blog I read regularly is Ellee Seymour. So I should like to vote for her, it is always an interesting read.

Harry Barnes said...

To qualify, they provide comment boxes.

1.Yourfriendinthenorth.
2.Last of Iraqis.
3.Bob Piper.
4.The Labour Humanist.
5.Eric Lee.
6.NightHawk.
7.In Place of Fear.
8.John's Labour Blog.
9.Iraqi Mojo.
10.Grimmerupnorth.
11.NewerLabour.
12.Labourhome.
13.Gauche.
14.Treasure of Baghdad.
15.John's Labour blog.
16.Labour's Fightback.
17.Flying Here.
18.Labour Left Forum.
19.Maroon Stripes.
20.John4Leader (if he is too left wing, try Tom Watson).

Visit those you don't know. I suspect this includes my top two. If I win the lucky dip send my DVD's to Guido, he has nothing better to do than watch them.

John Trenchard said...

1.Burning Our Money
2. EU Referendum
3.Devils Kitchen
4.Slugger O'Toole
5. Spyblog
6. U.S.S Neverdock
7. Twenty Major
8. Biased BBC
9. Drink Soaked Trotskyite Popinjays for War
10. Iain Dale
11. Dizzy Thinks
12 .P.C. David Copperfield
13. Harry's Place
14.Dr Crippen
15. Guido Fawkes
16. Samizdata
17.Croydonian
18. Tim Worstall
19. Laban Tall
20. Mr Chalk

Dave Cole said...

In no particular order:

Westminster Wisdom
Iain Dale
Bloggers4Labour
Sinclair's Musings
Ministry of Truth

Beau Bo d'Or
Recess Monkey
Mr Eugenides
Stumbling and Mumbling
Luke Akehurst

Bob Piper
Dave Osler
A General Theory of Rubbish
Nourishing Obscurity
Chicken Yoghurt

LabourHome
ConservativeHome
Jo Salmon
Bloggerheads
Tygerland

Steven_L said...

Come off it, everyone knows hitches' blog is the best by a mile.

Anonymous said...

I am surprised to have been left out...

Ted Foan said...

Harry Barnes on your blog Iain? You are honoured. He was a undistinguished old leftie MP for North East Derbyshire for many years and we were pleased to seem him retire. Hope he's not come back to haunt us now.

Roger Thornhill said...

In no order

Raedwald
Tim Worstall
Devils Kitchen
Stumbling and Mumbling
Guido Fawlkes
Burning Our Money
The Welfare State We Are Utterly B*ggered By, I mean "In".
Islington Newmania

Roger "shameless plug at Neue Arbeit Macht Frei" Thornhill

grumpyoldbookworm said...

1. Iain Dale
2. Guido Fawkes
3. Nick Robinson
4. Barry Beelzebub
5. PM
6. The Policeman's Blog
7. The Magistrate's Blog
8. Recess Monkey

Iain Dale said...

Roger Thornhill & El Dave, I can't include your choices if you don't rank them.

Harry Barnes said...

Diablo,

Can't access your comment box. Must be a right-wing plot.

Nadim said...

This is difficult because there are lots of blogs which aren't Tory/Labour/LibDem kind of political, but very political nonetheless.

So, my Top 5 for what it's worth:

1 Cranmer
2 Muslim Matters
3 ConservativeHome
4 Guido Fawkes
5 Dhimmi Watch

There's more, but I guess some might not fit your 'political' definition.

Sir-C4' said...

1. TerryWatch (terrywatch.blogspot.com - BEST BLOG EVER!)
2. The Devil's Kitchen
3. Cranmer
4. Iain Dale's Diary
5. Theo Spark
6. A Very British Dude
7. Tim Roll-Pickering
8. Mr. Eugenides
9. Martine Martin
10. Prague Tory (R.I.P)
11. Oliver Kamm
12. Dizzy Thinks
13. Conservative Mind
14. Guido Fawkes
15. Dizzy Thinks
16. Right for Scotland
17. Tom Paine
18. Mars Hill
19. EShotgun (excellent swearblog)
20. ConservativeHome

Praguetory said...

I'll have a think about my favourite 20, but here's a list of the 20 sites from which I received the most traffic over the last year.

1 IAIN DALE
2 GUIDO FAWKES
3 INSPECTOR GADGET
4 CONSERVATIVE HOME
5 DIZZY THINKS
6 CROYDONIAN
7 LOOKING FOR A VOICE
8 BIASED BBC
9 PAUL BURGIN
10 THE UK DAILY PUNDIT
11 LABAN TALL
12 GUIDO 2.0
13 DAMON LORD
14 BEL IS THINKING
15 RECESS MONKEY
16 BLOGGERHEADS
17 BRUMMIETORY
18 ELLEE SEYMOUR
19 POLITICAL HACK
20 PETER MARTINOVIC

Daily Referendum said...

I needed a list of a least thirty. It took ages trying to decide who to leave out. There are some excellent blogs that do not appear on my list. Sorry to those I've missed out.
1. Iain Dale's Diary
2. Conservative Home
3. An Englishmans Castle
4. The Waendel Journal
5. PJC Journal
6. Burning Our Money
7. Archbishop Cranmer
8. The Last Ditch
9. Man in a Shed
10. Bel is Thinking
11. Theo Spark
12. Grendel
13. The England Project
14. Rogue Gunner
15. Little Man in a Toque
16. Ellee Seymour
17. Looking for a Voice
18. The Croydonian
19. Paul Linford
20. Pox Anglorum

Anonymous said...

1. http://www.darkersideofbridgetjones.blogspot.com/ (Catriona MacKenzie,
Con)
2. http://dizzythinks.net/ (Con)
3. http://www.croydonian.blogspot.com/ (William Luckman, Con) 4.
http://www.archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/ (Crammer, ?) 5.
http://susannelamido.blogspot.com/ (Susanne Lamido, Ind) 6.
http://elleeseymour.com/ (Ellee Seymour, Con) 7.
http://norfolkblogger.blogspot.com/ (Nich Starling, Lib Dem) 8.
http://swordinthelake.blogspot.com/ (Con) 9. http://iznewmania.blogspot.com/
(Paul Newman, Con) 10. http://mattdaviesharingey.blogspot.com/ (Cllr. Matt
Davies, Lib Dem) 11. http://e9life.blogspot.com/ (Graeme Archer, Con) 12.
http://nhsblogdoc.blogspot.com/ (NHS Doctor, ?) 13.
http://alandobbie.blogspot.com/index.html (Cllr. Alan Dobbie, Lab) 14.
http://www.thebristowblog.typepad.com/ (Cllr Pail Bristow, Con) 15.
http://anyonebutken.blogspot.com/ (Ind) 16. http://devilskitchen.me.uk/
(UKIP) 17. http://donalblaney.blogspot.com/ (Donal Blaney, Con) 18.
http://kevindavis.wordpress.com/ (Kevin Davis, Con) 19.
http://toryreformgroup.wordpress.com/ (TRG) 20.
http://www.conservativesni.org/blog.php?sectionid=9&contentid=252 (N.I.
Cons)

Praguetory said...

Very London-centric Mr Hinchcliffe!

Curly said...

Our favourite reads in the back shop - time permitting - this year have been (in this order)

1. Conservative Home
2. Iain Dale's Diary
3. Guido Fawkes
4. Archbishop Cranmer
5. Samizdata
6. Curly's Corner Shop
7. Mr. Eugenides
8. Burning our money
9. Ellee Seymour
10. Devil's Kitchen
11. Dizzy Thinks
12. Dr. Crippen
13. Nick Robinson
14. Biased BBC
15. 18 Doughty Street
16. Benedict Brogan
17. Playing Political
18. Prague Tory
19. Bob Piper
20. Nadine Dorries

Harry J said...

My top 20 is:-

UK Commentators
A Tangled Web
Jihad Watch
The Devils Kitchen
Mr Euginedes
Fulham Reactionary
Ranting Stan
Home of the Green Arrow
Biased BBC
House of Dumb
Pub Philosopher
The Nationalist News in Good Old Commie Britain
EU Referendum
Gates of Vienna
Western Resistance
Bloody Scott
FreeBornJohn
BNP and me
Little Bulldogs
USS Neverdock

The Curmudgeon said...

Ellee Seymour

http://elleeseymour.com/

Steven_L said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

1. Unity - ministryoftruth.org.uk
2. Hamer Shawcross - britishbullshitfoundation.blogspot.com
3. Chris Mounsey - devilskitchen.me.uk
4. Iain Dale - well here
5. Manic - Bloggerheads.com
6. Dr Crippen - nhsblogdoc.blogspot.com
7. Dizzy - dizzythinks.net
8. Tim Worstall - timworstall.typepad.com/timworstall
9. Nick Robinson - blogs.bbc.co.uk/nickrobinson
10. Evanomics - bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/evandavis
11. Hoby - hobycartoons.blogspot.com

Reactionary Snob said...

Hello there,

1) Mr. Eugenides
2) Iain Dale
3) Dizzy Thinks
4) Devil's Kitchen
5) Unity Ministry of Truth
6) Chicken Yoghurt
7) Slugger O'Toole
8) Nourishing Obscurity
9) Political Umpire
10) Chase Me Ladies, I'm In The Calvary
11) Spectator Coffee House
12) Not Saussure
13) Political Betting
14) Oliver Kamm
15) Freedom & Whisky
16) J. Arthur MacNumpty
17) Tim Worstall
18) Guido Fawkes
19) Nick Robinson
20) Dr. Crippen

Alwyn ap Huw said...

A Welsh selection:

Hen Rech Flin
Miserable Old Fart
Annibyniaeth i Gymru
Blog Menai
BBC Vaughan Roderick
Golygfa o Gymru Wledig - Glyn Davies
Ordovicius
British Nationalists in Wales WATCH
GWE
View From the Glen
Wales - World Nation
Valleys Mam
A view from Rural Wales - Glyn Davies
Martin Eaglestone
The Professor Who Shoots From the Hip
Normal MouthNew Welsh Righ
Live from the Socialist Fortress
Peter Black AM
Thoughts of Oscar

Mr Chips said...

My Top 10 (I don't have 20!):

Cranmer
Slugger O'Toole
Tim Wostall
Nick Robinson
Dizzy Tinks
Burning Our Money
Political Betting
Guido Fawkes
Prague Tory (though sadly no more)
Iain Dale (you might look last, but you are No10, not 20!)

Nicodemus said...

Does mentioning you in my top 20 get me in the top 100?

Old BE said...

I see no-one has yet admitted to having my blog in their top 20. Come on, it's nothing to be ashamed of

;-)

xx said...

You're obviously bored today, so I thought I'd give you a little mental exercise. My favourites, in this order:

Iain Monkey
Cranmer Fawkes
Conservative BBC
Dizzy O'Toole
RecessHome
Burning our Referendum
Archbishop Guido
Slugger Thinks
EU Money
Biased Dale


And damn you for making me register for a poxy google account.

Sir-C4' said...

*snaps The Black Fingernail's right ankle in half*

Vote for my blog, or snap all your freakin' ankles.

It's Damn Real! It's Impluse!

(laughs)YEAH!!!(laughs again)

Newmania said...

As for Newmania, he is an enthusiastic Cameron supporter (as am I) but tends to ramble in my opinion.

You might be suprised how succinct I can be Diablo

Newmania said...

Christ but oim finkin` that Sea Shanty is like having visual tinnitus . Don`t suppose anyone feels like dropping a piano on his head , just fer the crack.

Geoff said...

Ellee Seymour
Craig Murray
Dr Crippen
The Policemans Blog

QUASAR9 said...

Ok, some long lists. Twenty is too many for me. Here's my Top Two

1) Ian Dale, the host
for hosting the nominations

2) Elle Seymour
For elegantly & diplomatically raising all important political issues with a conservative flavour and without resorting to gutter press journalism.
A PR Lady par excellance!

Once I've had a chance to look at some of the competition, I'll be back to add more to the list.

Electro-Kevin said...

Elleeseymour
Newmania
Ed

Ithenkyu

Stan Bull said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Stan Bull said...

Talented bloggers one and all...
1.Bel is Thinking
2.Ellee Seymour.
3.Devil's Kitchen
4.Gates of Vienna
5.Islington Newmania
6.Croydonian
7.Mr Eugenides
8.Crushed By Ingsoc
9.Cranmer
10.Mutley the Dog

If only our beloved Verity had a blog of her own...

IanPJ said...

Difficult choices but....


Bishop Hill blog
Craig Murray
Daily Referendum
Grendel
Tim Worstall
EU Referendum
CEP News Blog
Guido Fawkes
Nation of Shopkeepers
Nanny Knows Best
Man in a Shed
Spy Blog - SpyBlog.org.uk
Samizdata.net
The Final Redoubt
Raedwald
Norfolk Blogger
Cranmer
CRUSHED BY INGSOC !
DizzyThinks
England Expects

Sea Shanty Irish said...

Three more fer me list:

--Bob Piper
--Political Betting
--Islington Newmania

The last is because I went over the top on previous critique of Newmania; will resolve to attack the idea vigorously but avoid personal invective.

Incidentially, think Newmania's jibes on meself are fair comment, if not always coherent.

But ye do need to yer brogue, boyo, they'd think ye was a Latvian plumber in O'Connell Street . . . and it's spelled "craic"!

Newmania said...

Fair enough

Lydia said...

1.Burning our Money
2.Iain Dale
3.Guido Fawkes
4.Nadine Dorries
5.Conservative Home
6.PC Copperfield
7.Devil's Kitchen

Nadim said...

And my Number 6:

Eye on the World

Voyager said...

Cranmer
Laban Tall's Blog
Conservative Home
Dr Rant
Burning Our Money
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/
EU Referendum
Gates of Vienna
Depeleted Uranium
Healing Iraq
Protestant Gazette
Virtue Online
Tim Blair

Anonymous said...

Ive posted mine HERE

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Sorry Iain, I cannot do ten. I only ever regularly read yours, with Cranmer, Dizzy, Con Home, Man in a Shed and very occasionally the Devil.

The execrable Guido no longer features since his totally crap appearance on Newsnight, when he was revealed as a lightweight chancing nitwit with delusions of grandeur.(As if that was not already evident by his specious claims to inside info)

For sheer intelligence, erudition and fun, Iain Dale's Diary, Cranmer and Devil's Kitchen are so far ahead of the rest I don't see how they can figure in a top ten. They are the Beatles, Stones and Who of the blog world, the Astair, Bogart and Marlon Brando of the Blog world the Gerswin, Porter and Novello of the blog world, the Dot Cotton, Pat Butcher, Bette Lynch of the blog world......etc

I would never include bloggers who regularly delete comments they do not agree with (and there are a lot - Lib Dems are the worst), nor would I include bloggers with a following of people who merely rant from the same sheet.

Correct me if I am wrong. Should I be including someone else?

Archbishop Cranmer said...

Mr Weasel,

This would make His Grace:

The Stones
Bogart
Porter
& Pat Butcher

He presumes the first is the Rolling not the flint; the second Humphrey not Dirk; the third Cole not Dame Shirley, and the fourth...err...

His Grace is honoured to be be included in such esteemed company, and would like to send Mrs Butcher his sincere condelences on her recent bereavement.

Wrinkled Weasel said...

See what I mean...sharp as a mohair suit.

but.."condelences" Your Grace, is that something to do with Condi Rice?

Or is that Delia Smith?

Hughes Views said...

Nearly 200 people have voted eh? Wow that's almost 0.0005% of the UK electorate - this political blogging caper's really influencing the populace now eh?

Archbishop Cranmer said...

His Grace apologises for the typo, but his right hand has been but a stump of charcoal since that fateful day, and using the keyboard is a most taxing pursuit.

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Aha! I see, your Grace, that you have the perfect Aleebee. Either that or you are auditioning for the part of Officer Crabtree in the revival of "Allo, Allo"

Gid Moaning.

Unknown said...

I only have one top blog to name:
Cranmer

Devil's Kitchen said...

My dear weasel, you are far too kind...

DK

Gary said...

1. Slugger O'Toole
2. Archbishop Cranmer
3. Yourself

Simon said...

I can only nominate those I read:

Liberal England
Millennium Elephant
Alex Foster
Will Howells
Republic of Hyde Park
Europhobia
The Sharpener
Lib Dem Voice
Black Triangle

I would put in for bad science, if it can be counted as political- it certainly concentrates on how media an politicians treat science.

Henry North London 2.0 said...

Are we allowed to nominate ourselves?

Neuearbeitmachtfrei 1
Ranting Stan 2
Devils kitchen 3
Dr Crippen( nhsblog)4
Rachel north London( though I know hers is mostly a personal/political)5
HenryNorth London ( yours truly)6


any of the other scorched earth bloggers who post relatively regularly like

ajohnstone said...

Mailstrom

Socilist Courier

Socialism or Your Money Back

Patience and Perseverence

Sir-C4' said...

Herr Dale, are you also doing a worst 20 blogs list as well? If so, I'd like to nominate Cllr Terry Kelly, Don Paskini, Harriet Harman, Songun, Rayleen Kelly and Bob Piper for that list.

lady macleod said...

Iain Dale

2. Ellee Seymour
3. Iain Dale
4. Guido Fawkes
5. Dizzy Thinks
6. Westminster Wisdom
7. ContraTory
8. The Policeman's Blog
9. Croydonian
10. The Devil's Kitchen
11. Burning our money

Sea Shanty Irish said...

One more fer me list:

- Fair Deal Phil

clarabella said...

fairdeal phil

Eurodog said...

The only one I know and read:
http://elleeseymour.com/

Anonymous said...

I vote for Suz Blog as my number 1

Unknown said...

I understand one must vote for more than one blog for one's vote to count. I realise I am late by a day in my update, but I hope that you will still consider me as it is only an alteration to my previously submitted vote.
1. Cranmer
2. Ellee Seymour
3. Iain Dale
4. Guido Fawkes
5. Dizzy Thinks
6. Westminster Wisdom
7. ContraTory
8. The Policeman's Blog
9. Croydonian
10. The Devil's Kitchen

Anonymous said...

Bill Clinton is telling everyone that he never said bad things about Barak Obama. What Obama should do is to step up to a group of reporters and say: "Bill Clinton says 'I never said any untrue things about that Man, Senator Obama' " while Barak is wagging his finger Bill Clinton style. That iconic finger wag and carefully nuanced Clinton type denial will remind voters of the "twofer" they will get if they elect Hillary.

Anonymous said...

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