Saturday, August 02, 2008

Guide to Political Blogs 2008-9: Vote for your Top Ten Blogs

Take Part & Win £100 worth of Political Books!


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. I'll 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

67 comments:

Anonymous said...

Devil’s Kitchen
Guido Fawkes
Iain Dale
Conservative Home
Political Betting
Coffee House
Burning Our Money
Dizzy Thinks
Bishop Hill
Mr Eugenides

Anonymous said...

How can 'anonymous' votes possibly count?

Iain Dale said...

You are of course correct. Anonymous votes will not count, and I have added an extra rule to make it clear. If you leave a vote on this thread you must be logged into Blogger or your vote will not count.

Alex said...

1. The Debatable Land (Alex Massie)
2. Mr Eugenides
3. Stumbling and Mumbling (Chris Dillow)
4.Coffee House (Spectator)
5. Charles Crawford (Blogoir)
6. Toby Harnden
7. Chicken Yoghurt
8. Adam Smith Institute blog
9. Clive Davis
10. Burning Our Money

Anonymous said...

Are you allowed to vote if you are Neil Clark? And if so, how often?

Anonymous said...

I believe you are breaching EU Law and this also means you are excluding Mr Worstall and those lucky few that don't live under Brown but still feel our suffering.

Iain Dale said...

Kit, Of course Tim is eligible. His blog is about UK politics! In fact, he's doing very well in the voting so far.

Anonymous said...

Second Prize is £200 worth of Political Books.
freedom to prosper

Adrian said...

Here's a couple of nice pics of three nice young chaps (who just happen to have won Gold for Britain today!)
http://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/
:-)

jilcov said...

Your top blog gets 10 points and your tenth gets 1 point

Anonymous said...

With apologies to all concerned...

1. Yawn Daily
2. Gordo Fix
3. Does he think?
4. Archbollocks Crapper
5. Litter from a Toilet
6. Hearsay Churner
7. Harpies' Place
8. A Very Brattish Dope
9. Bendy and Broken
10. Windy Journey

Anonymous said...

So, who are my favourites?

1. Guido Fawkes
2. Devil's Kitchen
3. iain Dale's Diary
>4. Beau Bo D'or
5. Samizdata
>6. John Redwood
7. Ellee Seymour<
8. Archbishop Cranmer
9. Mr. Eugenides
10. Political Betting

Tapestry said...

Politicalbetting
Iaindale
Orderorder
Conservativehome
EUReferendum
John Redwood's Diary
Umbrellog
Dizzythinks
Coffeehouse
Dan Hannan

Craig said...

SNP Tactical Voting

Kezia Dugdale’s soapbox

Two Doctors

Tom Harris’ blog

Mr Eugenides

J Arthurs MacNumpty

Blether with Brian

Adam Smith was a socialist

Tartan Hero

Stephen’s Linlithgow Journal

Hank Vermin said...

Old Holborn
Blaney's Blarney
Coffee House
Biased BBC
Peter Hitchens
Guido
Melanie Phillips
Iain Dale's Diary
Prodicus
Something Fishy

Anonymous said...

thank god that disgusting picture of the liar has been removed from the total politics advert.

Its made sick on several occaisions

Jennie Rigg said...

"4. Blogs chosen must be listed in the Total Politics Blog Directory."

We can only vote for blogs you have already heard of? That's a bit crap, isn't it? Why not USE this as a method of picking up new blogs that you haven't heard of yet?

Mog said...

Iain

If you wish to maintain your status as my number one you need to post some more!

Not a good idea to promote a competition and then ignore the contestants!

Good luck!

Anonymous said...

Wekk this will be great but i dont think i will see irfanahmedblog.blogspot.com on the list despite him being one of the best bloggers out there

Anonymous said...

I have emailed my list today, but I had to demote you from your usual spot somewhat, as I have been avoiding your site due to the ghastly picture of snotty. Quite why you insisted (despite several requests)on greeting visitors with this, I will never understand.

Please do not make this mistake again!You may then do better in the poles.....

Anonymous said...

1. Tim Worstall
2. Chris Dillow (aka Stumbling and Mumbling)
3. Heresy Corner
4. John Redwood
5. Glyn Davies
6. Daniel Hannan
7. Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
8. Better Government
9. Laban Tall

Anonymous said...

Off topic, could I just breathe a sigh of relief that "Total Politics" is making it to a second issue. At least now, when the cursor drifts down the page in the quest for new text, we don't have that bloody man Brown's face gurning at us. Thank all the gods for him being replaced by Morgan Tsvangirai, a man of REAL courage.

Iain Dale said...

Jennie, you seem to have missed the point. The point being that if people see a blog listed they will now tell us and we will add it!

Anonymous said...

Isn't Guido based in Ireland? Does that mean he can or can't be included?

Iain Dale said...

Read the small print - it also says bogs who write predominantly about UK politics. Or something like that.

Philipa said...

Iain I can't see Newmania's blog listed on the 'allowed' list. It's here: http://iznewmania.blogspot.com/

Can it be added please? It's high up on my list as is Behind Blue Eyes (http://be-hind-blue-eyes.blogspot.com/ ) - can they both be added? PLease?

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

I think www.pendletruth.blogspot.com is the best blog out there it really reaches out to the people displaying intresting storys which really get the attention of its readers so i advise you all to come take a look.

Once again visit www.pendletruth.blogspot.com

--- said...

1. nought.point.zero
2. guido fawkes
3. coffee house (Spectator)
4. Archbishop Cranmer
5. Free Exchange (Economist)
6. Comment central (Times)
7. Centre right
8. Iain Dale
9. The debatable land
10. Alex Deane (http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/alex_deane/index.html - or should I have listed this differently?)

Harry J said...

1: EU Referendum
2: Burning Our Money
3: UK Commentators
4: A Tangled Web
5: Fulham Reactionary
6: Devil's Kitchen
7: Old Holborn
8: Sarah, Maid of Albion
9: House of Dumb
10: Biased BBC

Silent Hunter said...

Iain, I thought this exchange might be of interest to you given that the Labour Outlook and Bloggers4Labour are urging Labour supporters to vote for Labour Blogs.

At 10:07 PM, July 21, 2008, Blogger Silent Hunter said...

Perhaps Labour Blogs don't make it onto the top 100 blogs because Labour Bloggers like Bob Piper tend to abuse the folk who comment on their blogs...

Quote/s:

"You are talking absolute bollocks."

&

"Come on this site and talk out of your arse if you wish, but if you do you'll have to live with the consequences. And in this case, you've made a complete twat of yourself."

&

"Why not have the balls to just admit you got it wrong... or at least stay silent, at least that way you won't look quite so much of a tit."

&

"Fuck off yourself, It's not my fault you're a thick twat!"

&

"I get my guts from votes from the public... you get your kicks by fondling your dick in private."


So; as you can see.......if this is an example of 'balanced comment' from a Labour Blog.....is it any wonder that 'Labour Blogs' fail to get a mention amongst the brightest and the best?

Perhaps when the 'Labour Bloggers' can walk without dragging their knuckles along the ground; then the rest of the blogosphere might start taking them seriously.

In reply I received.....

At 10:27 PM, July 21, 2008, Blogger Bloggers4Labour said...

Perhaps Labour Blogs don't make it onto the top 100 blogs because...

What are you talking about? Lots did. One came 11th.

Perhaps when the 'Labour Bloggers' can walk without dragging their knuckles along the ground; then the rest of the blogosphere might start taking them seriously.

That's a very dim-witted comment, and it makes you look like an idiot, someone who is either unwilling or unable to judge people on their merits. I say that in my capacity as a human being with a brain and, dare I say, a heart too. It's even more tragic to make such a statement when there aren't even any votes on the line.

In the end, you lose, because smart, interesting people will ignore you, and you'll end up conversing with other fools.

My reply to this was......

At 10:36 PM, July 21, 2008, Blogger Silent Hunter said...

And your comments about Bob Pipers responses would be....?????

I notice that you conveniently omit to address my main point.

Is it a 'given' that ALL Labour bloggers simply abuse people on their blogs?

And where exactly am I to find 'smart and interesting people' on Labour Blogs considering Bob Pipers response and now your own?

Is 'fondling your dick in private' a smart or interesting comment then?

Perhaps I could ask you again to address my central point.....or will you simply default to more personal abuse?

So far.....no reply!

Nice people New Labour. LOL

Anonymous said...

Okay then Iain;

Septicisle
Enemies of Reason
Five Chinese Crackers
Political Betting
Millennium Elephant
Unity
Tim Ireland
Liberal Conspiracy
DK
Political Betting

Anonymous said...

Aaargh... re my selections above, PB is good but not worthy of two votes; scrub No. 10 and replace it with The Yorksher Gob. Ta in advance etc.

Tom Powdrill said...

1 Stumbling And Mumbling
2 Snowflake5
3 John's Labour Blog
4 Never Trust A Hippy
5 Freemania
6 Hopi Sen
7 Tigmoo
8 Bloggers4Labour
9 Labour Outlook
10 Dave's Part

Jackart said...

A Very British Dude (Naturally)

Mr Eugenides
Devils Kitchen
Stumbling and Mumbling
Heresy Corner
Mediocracy
Raedwald
The Waendel Journal
An Englishman's Castle
Underdogs Bite Upwards

nought.point.zero said...

Email address didn't work for me. anyway.

1) Guido Fawkes
2) Nought Point Zero
3) Dizzy
4) This Side of the House (by Liz Ford)
5) Adam Smith Institute
6) Sinclair's Musings (by Matt Sinclair)
7) Iain Dale's Diary
8) Bishop Hill
9) Spectator Coffee House / Frazer Nelson
10) Red Box

cheers
Alex Marsh

John M Ward said...

My Top Ten:

Guido Fawkes
Dizzy Thinks
Iain Dale's Diary
Conservative Home
Daily Referendum
Alan Collins
Blaney's Blarney
Thunder Dragon
Letters from a Tory
Burning Our Money

Anonymous said...

West Brom Blog (obviously!)
Coffee House
John Redwood's Diary
Guido
Iain Dale
Political Betting
Blaney's Blarney
Norfolk Blogger
Letters from a Tory
Adam Smith Institute blog

Ben Gray said...

Should we really be letting bloggers vote for themselves?

John M Ward said...

Benjamin Gray - "Should we really be letting bloggers vote for themselves?"

If they reckon theirs is good enough, then it should be okay. As a case in point, I didn't vote for mine as there are far better, and a fair number of 'em too.

I could have added another five to my list without difficult, two of which in particular I really would have liked to include -- but that's real life (unlike Balls' "everybody wins" education exam ideas!).

Old Holborn said...

Devils Kitchen
Guido
LPUK
Old Holborn
Womble on Tour
Ian Dale
Electro Kevin
Red Box
Tuscan Tony
Taking Liberties

Anonymous said...

1. The Devil's Kitchen
2. Obsolete
3. Tim Worstall
4. To Miss With Love
5. EU Referendum
6. Ministry Of Truth
7. Stumbling & Mumbling
8. Clairwil
9. Underdogs Bite Upwards
10. Dave's Part

Ben Gray said...

1. ConservativeHome
2. Guido Fawkes
3. Iain Dale
4. Spectator Coffee House
5. Dizzy Thinks
6. Cassilis
7. Harry's Place
8. Politicalbetting.com
9. Benjamin Gray
10. Normblog

Theo Spark said...

Do I still count as a political blog?

ndm said...

The Debatable Land (Alex Massie)
Clive Davis

Unknown said...

That list does not contain Engage as far as I can see.
Please add it to the list so its worth bothering to vote.

weggis said...

4. Blogs chosen must be listed in the Total Politics Blog Directory.

That's a bit unfair to any new kids on the block, innit? What about blogs you don't know about yet?
Please reconsider this rule.

Iain Dale said...

Weggis, no, the whole point is to get people to use the SUBMIT A BLOG button so any blogs which aren't there can get added immediately. We've added about 60 in this way in the last week.

weggis said...

Oh right, I can add them first and then vote. Will do.

cato author of www.toryheaven.com said...

Ian there seems to be a problem with voting for top ten blogs at the email address you gave, I tried and got this reply:-

"Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:

toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com

Technical details of permanent failure:
Google tried to deliver your message, but it was rejected by the recipient domain. We recommend contacting the other email provider for further information about the cause of this error. The error that the other server returned was: 554 554 Unable to process message: msg.1217109567.694155.21440 - error: recipient: toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com failed, reason: consider the message to be spam (state 18)."

So it seems to think my email was spam. Is this just me, or is anyone else having this problem?

Iain Dale said...

I have been getting emails all day and al evening. Some of them have gine into Spam because of the number of links within the email, but I have retrieved them all. No one else has reported such a problem. I just got a new blog submission from you despite the fact your blog is already listed!

Anonymous said...

Iain,

Just for info I had a couple of people leave me comments or email that they were having the same problem voting i.e. their email was getting returned.

I've told them to try again and also to leave a comment here voting, but just wanted you to know.

Anonymous said...

Tory Bear all the way!

trinitylaw said...

Iain, thanks, I'll try voting again.

And sorry for submitting my site again. I hadn't appreciated it was already listed on totalpolitics - my mistake!

Unknown said...

Guido Fawkes
Dizzy Thinks
Iain Dale's Diary
Nought Point Zero
Daily Referendum
Alan Collins
Adam Smith Institute blog
This side of the house
Letters from a Tory
Burning Our Money

Anonymous said...

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1505694.ece

CHECK OUT THE CAPTIONS DALE

Anonymous said...

Can't possibly vote for ten, there's only one worth reading and it's Cranmer's. Wouldn't bother opening the computer every day if it weren't for his musings. Even the ones I disagree with (about a third) are at least well put.

Anonymous said...

Can I vote for myself at all?

If no then Electro Kev for sure

Anonymous said...

Naturally, Boatang & Demetriou will feature in the list.

;-)

John Demetriou

http://boatangdemetriou.wordpress.com/

Anonymous said...

Emailed, but anyway...

1. Doctor Vee
2. Ideas of Civilisation
3. SNP Tactical Voting
4. Kezia Dugdale’s Soapbox
5. Scottish Tory Boy
6. Adam Smith was a Socialist
7. Stephen’s Linlithgow Journal
8. Blether with Brian
9. Two Doctors
10. Tom Harris MP - And Another Thing...

Owen Polley said...

Can I point out once again that my blog (Three Thousand Versts of Loneliness) is not English. It is Northern Irish!

Owen Polley said...

Hurrah! Someone's listening! I thank you!

Senedd Whip said...

1. Iain Dale
2. Glyn Davies
3. Miss Wagstaff Presents
4. Wardman Wire
5. Betsan Powys
6. David Cornock
7. Peter Black AM
8. Devil's Kitchen
9. Guido Fawkes
10.Normal Mouth

IAMNOISEPORN said...

torybear
guido fawkes
conservative home
political betting
iain dale
coffee house
adam smith institute
melanie philips
something fishy
mr eugenides

Guy C said...

Hello Iain,

1.OurKingdom
2.Quaequam
3.Spyblog
4.Pickled Politics
5.Iain Dale
6.Normal Mouth
7.Craig Murray
8.The F Word
9.Liberal Conspiracy
10.David Hill

Guy

Unknown said...

Guido Fawkes
Conservative Home
Political Betting
Iain Dale
Burning Our Money
Dizzy Thinks
Coffee House
Devil’s Kitchen
Adam Smith Institute
Free Exchange

Unknown said...

Here's some blogs. It is really all about you and me in the global economic arena. See the Adventures of an Advocate and Artist in the global economic arena.
See http://globaleconomicarens.blogspot.com/
and http://www.bizarrepolitics.com/

Also explore the "stepchildren" of philosophy and religion - workers and labor at http://www.therationale.com/

clarencegirl said...

Guide to Political Blogs 2008-9.
Great idea. I'm now going to browse the lists in this comments section.