Over the next two days I will be revealing the contents of my Guide to Political Blogging. The second extract is my Top 100 Labour Blogs.I want to emphasise right from the beginning that this Top 100 and the rankings are my opinion and obviously opinions are subjective. But the list should at least generate a debate. I marked each blog out of ten on the following 10 areas: design; frequency of posting; writing ability; personality; comment; humour; range; interaction; popularity; independence of thought. This generated a mark out of 100.
To download the Top 100 Labour blogs as a PDF, click HERE. I will be uploading the full document as a PDF on Monday morning. You can get a dead tree version HERE. The Top 100 LibDem Blogs PDF is HERE.
So feel free to let me know what you think of the Labour list. I'll be posting the Conservative and Non Aligned lists tomorrow, with the overall Top 100 appearing on Sunday.
I like the bit at the bottom which says "Blogging from work can get you fired!"
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that I'm not going to get into the top one hundred Conservative blogs - though I suppose it will be deserved. More controversy, more anti-Iain Dale stuff... there's a thought..!
Iain: thanks for including me...chuffed i'm on your list at 73...
ReplyDeleteIs there anywhere on the net that is having a serious discussion about the way the BBC is treating "the Pope is an awful fascist" story?
ReplyDeleteI cannot begin to describe on how many levels they have got it so wrong, (and I'm low church C of E).
Common Iain start a thread.
Get that tin hat ready Iain - all hell will break loose...
ReplyDeleteTMMDIHABI - Cranmer's covering it. It is indeed a disgrace. The word flames and fanning spring to mind. PS - Kerron's blog is pretty turgid. Prolific? Yes, but how did he win out in the other categories.
ReplyDeleteMarks for design?
ReplyDeleteI suspect then that my position is artificially inflated by my claret & blue colour scheme and Hammers badge at the top of the page...
Miliband is not going to be a happy bunny, with or without his wiki.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your generosity, Iain. A good list, including some I must add to my links. A couple of notable exceptions, perhaps: Skipper, and Never Trust a Hippy. Also the excellent Ministry of Truth, written by a Labour Leftie, so it should qualify.
ReplyDeleteDamn that Kerron Cross... (although I suppose it leaves something to strive for)
hmm, 100 blogs? Isn't that a bit excessive. Should have stuck with 20.
ReplyDeleteThat's a real kick in the teeth for the Milipede. Thought I would check out some of the lowlier blogs (who beat the Milipede) to try for size. At No 63 there is "From Socialite to Socialist". He last posted over a year ago, posted a total of eight posts and most of the posts had long spam comments or unanswered direct questions. Anyone below 63 who takes blogging seriously deserves a degree of sympathy.
ReplyDeleteMerchant of Venice.....? I suppose you now have your epitaph ready.....
ReplyDeleteI second tone made do it.Please start something on the Pope.
ReplyDeleteMr Dale,
ReplyDeleteI'm honoured, kind sir.
Thanks.
Sorry Iain, off topic I know. Tone made me do it might be interested in Cranmers blog on the Pope not specifically on BBC's treatment.....
ReplyDeleteA bit nit-picky, but I'd point out that your number 8 pick, Dave's Part, isn't a Labour blogger.
ReplyDeleteI should have titled it Top 100 Labour/Left blogs, but that doesn't have quite the same ring to it! The Tory list will also have a few non Tory right of centre blogs in it too.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Iain, I'm very flattered! :-)
ReplyDeleteNot quite sure how you can be familiar with 200 blogs in enough detail so as to rate them accurately. But - well done if you can.
ReplyDeleteAnd you forgot Skipper in the Labour section.
Skipper is in the Non Aligned Section on the basis Bill Jones is an academic. Maybe I got that one wrong...
ReplyDelete14 Tygerland http://tygerland.net
ReplyDeleteVery flattering, thanks.
Look forward to the book.
No Paul Linford? Strange.
ReplyDeletePaul Linford is not a Labour blog. he is in the Non Aligned section to be posted shortly.
ReplyDeleteFirst time I've ever commented on a Tory blog (and probably the last) so I'll keep it clean.
ReplyDeleteErrr thanks for the rating.
Am pleasntly surprised, thought I would be a bit frther down the list. Being in the Top Ten (No 9) is an undeserved honour :)
ReplyDeleteIain, like Kerron, I too am extremely flattered. It is probably a very unforgiving task and one all of us mentioned should be very grateful for. Hopefully your book will succeed in its aims of upping the profile of political blogs across the board and making you very wealthy (at least one of these two things is possible). We have our critics in the mainstream media, but the fact that anyone with rudimentary computer skills and a point of view can get it published is a terrific boost to democracy the way I see it. These days I find I get more information from other bloggers than I get from 'respected' journos... and OK, you cannot trust everything bloggers say, but I don't trust the other buggers either.
ReplyDeleteI will be in Manchester if the Party succeed in sorting out my credentials in the next week, and I'm willing to give a hand if you need any help at the Labour Conference.
Iain
ReplyDeleteThanks for putting me in at No.47 -but bloody hell you must have made a mistake with the scoring - I've only been at this seriously for a few weeks and I was on holiday in Greece blogging like Judith Chalmers for 2 of those.
politicalhack notes:
ReplyDeleteOnly number 29? Can I get a recount?
Actually, I'm pathetically grateful for the attention. This AND the BBC in a week.
Thanks for the mention and like Bob, can I commend the Ministry of Truth to you. Top bloke.
(Blogger in beta won't allow me to log in to comment on non-beta blogs)
*still seething*
ReplyDeleteOh ta!
ReplyDeleteAs flattered as I am by my inclusion, would it not have hurt to spell my name correctly.
ReplyDeleteThe blog is 'Snedds' rather than 'Sneds' (#31) The clue is perhaps that the URL is www.snedds.co.uk
I'm surprised and duly grateful about the inclusion of my blog. And I'm glad you understood that being passionate about politics doesn't mean being obsessed in a po-faced way.
ReplyDeleteYou appear to have erroniously omitted the REAL Luke Akehurst site:
ReplyDeletehttp://lukeakehurstsblog.blogspot.com
and included that aweful spoofster instead.
Recheck your criteria, young man!
Otherwise, I'll cancel that bottle of claret I was just about to courier around.
belated thanks Iain, I shall have a bit more respect in future, I read you before Guido every day, and top stylee for putting Snedds in I love him lots
ReplyDeleteI dont know whether I am thrilled at being on the list of the top 100 (and a very respectable 55 at that) or horrified at just how anoraky I must be!
ReplyDeleteThanks Iain, I think your blog title is great by the way, Louise