Iain Dale is organising a vote for a publication on the UK’s best political blogs.
In September Harriman House will publish the 2007 Guide to Political Blogging in the UK, sponsored by APCO Online. 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 subject line. 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.
I like this kind of thing, just like I watch the Eurovision Song Contest for the voting, not the songs. So do vote. You don’t have to vote for this blog, because I have an unshakeable faith it is the greatest that would not be altered by any result. I am going to vote for Steph, just in case that really is a photo of her. British blogs only, please. And in sending your email note there are a lot of i’s in Iain.
Actually, it's not easy to do a top 20. Top of my head, in the mix are Postman Patel, Blairwatch, Steph, Bloggerheads, Iain Dale himself, Liberal England, Lenin's Tomb, Chicken Yoghurt, Nosemonkey, Disillusioned Kid, Freedom and Whisky, Tartan Hero. I am sure I am missing one or two that should be top 5 but are slipping my mind.
Hi Craig
A Top 20 UK Political Blogs seems like a great idea – you'll get my vote!
Anyhow to the point – I'm a regular visitor to your blog but up until now have had no reason to make a comment.
I noticed you saying you are going to vote for Steph. I commented on a blog by someone called Steph " People Who Defend Paedophilia" last year.
http://stephi.blog.co.uk/2006/11/12/people_who_de…
He/she writes, "This week I posted on paedophilia and the age of consent, I pointed out that Peter Tatchell is a paedophile, who advocates prepubescent sex."
I left a comment on the blog saying something along the lines that this was a pretty ridiculous thing to write, and, can you provide any evidence? Oh dear, I was now named as a paedophile. The nick I used at the time was 'codewords' and if you follow the link you' ll get the idea. It seems I was defending "the great champion of child rape and paedophilia." The original thread seems to have disappeared by the way.
I hope this Steph I came across is not the same one you are going to vote for.
All the best,
Andy.
Craig,
I couldn't list 5 political blogs, never mind 20! But I read yours every day and I hope it wins.
Andy,
You were lynched. You asked a straightforward question and the most preposterous allegations were made against you. Easy to see how witch hunting began.
By the way the link is at http://stephi.blog.co.uk/2006/11/09/age_of_consen…. The original Peter Tatchell article, commented on in the blog, is at http://www.petertatchell.net/age%20of%20consent/b… while the article you found, which does not include any of the quotations you were accused of editing out, is at http://www.petertatchell.net/sex%20education/sex%….
For the record my attitude on homosexuality is "don't ask, don't tell" and I think that the modern definition of paedophilia is at odds with norms of most societies through the ages, including the US and Britain. But in the current climate any sensible discussion is impossible. The Islamic view is that a couple can marry if both are past the age of puberty and are considered by their parents or guardians to be sufficiently mature to take on the responsibilities of marriage. Age doesn't enter into it.
This blog does develop some unexpected directions. Obviously there is nothing magic about 16 as opposed to 17 or 15, it is a matter of the law judging a point when a person is old enough to defend themselves from exploitation. Different countries have different laws, as we have had at different stages in history. But my feeling is, rather boringly, that the law is about right for the UK now and works, in that it does not appear to throw up obvious injustice. That I think is because it is sensibly applied, by and large. Sorry to have no more profound thoughts on the subject.
Who has 20 favourite blogs? Most patheticaly -Ive one favourite and a passing familiarity with a dozen or so. Surely if you have 20 favourite blogs and half a life to live besides, you could only be speed reading/posting through them all. Spending so much time sampling opinions cant leave much for attending to your own. This is surely a survey of highly blogomiscuous readers :}
Thanks for your reply.
And keep up your good work!
All the best,
Andy
P.S. The Gladstone quote – wonderful.
I certainly couldn't think up 20 off the top of my head, Luckily he says he'll accept ten. I missed the excellent Rolled Up Trousers from my original list. And I enjoy the Sharp Side, and Freedom and Whisky.
Hi Craig,
I've sent you a number of e-mails and a letter asking for confirmation of the arrangements I've set out for your talk to the Woking Conservative Association on Friday the 10th August but I am afraid I'm still waiting on a reply.
Can I ask you to confirm to me by e-mail or telephone on the details set out in my letter or e-mail?
There is no need to post this onto the blog but I would appreciate confirmation as our members ae very much looking forward to your talk.
Carl
Carl
Sorry, overwhelmed by correspondence as usual. I'll be there.