According to the ebuzzing (formerly wikio) rankings, this is the third most influential political blog in the UK – and the fifth most influential blog of any kind. It beats, hands down, the heavily funded ConservativeHome and Labourlist propaganda operations.
Of the two political blogs ahead of it, Guido Fawkes has permanent paid staff, whereas Liberal Conspiracy is a collective of 32 high profile ultra politically correct guardianistas; many of whom are paid by mainstream media.
Yet this blog has total funding of precisely nil and is only me, an ageing and disillusioned man sickened by the growing gap between rich and poor, the domination of mainstream political parties by corporate interests, and the continual promotion of aggressive war.
This blog does everything wrong. There are frequent gaps between posts, sometimes of weeks on end, because I get too depressed at instances of the callous disregard of the powerful for ordinary people.
I do not tweet, except that the start of each blog entry automatically gets tweeted, which someone set up for me.
This is an SNP supporting blog based in Ramsgate, Kent, written by a manic depressive sacked diplomat of eclectic views, whose guiding lights are the deeply unfashionable John Stuart Mill and William Hazlitt, whose favourite book was written by Michael Foot, and who is still metaphorically on his knees begging forgiveness for advising people to put Nick Clegg into government.
This blog, like all the other top blogs, could make substantial money from advertising, but is the only one not to carry advertising because it does not desire money.
It is webhosted for free, and kept running by a team of techies and moderators who do it for free also, not because they support a party or policy line or everything I say, but because they like the blog. It has the most free, well nigh anarchic moderation policy of any major blog. You can say what you like, including being very critical of me. Racism is pretty well the only red line. Opposing voices are very welcome.
I don’t do political correctness.
Even more heretically, this blog succeeds despite the fact the ebuzzing rankings show the majority of its posts are about international relations. Not only is it interested in foreigners, it tends to concentrate on Africa, Central Asia and other places the mainstream media scarcely believe exist. This blog succeeds so well because the mainstream media leaves unmet an active desire for information by very large numbers of people who are not as stupid as they think.
I have been lucky to have led a fascinating and varied life and as a result not only have a large number of high level contacts who would be the envy of any journalist, but am prepared to publish facts that mainstream political discourse finds uncomfortable.
To give just a few examples, this blog made public that Adam Werritty and Liam Fox had eight meetings with Matthew Gould, now British Ambassador to Israel, not the two reported in Gus O’Donnell’s whitewash “report”. At least two included Mossad, and the purpose throughout was to coordinate on the ramping up of official support for an attack on Iran.
This blog made public the deal whereby the US obtained Arab League support for the attack on Libya in return for US support for the Saudi invasion of Bahrain.
This blog revealed Lord Taylor of Blackburn’s role as bagman for New Labour, and for Jack Straw personally, in collecting from the defence industries, and BAE in particular.
This blog revealed the dirty deal between the British government and the Karimov regime to resume arms supplies and military training in return for logistic support for Afghanistan.
You would be surprised by how many people actually embedded in the establishment, including Members of Parliament and very senior mainstream media journalists, have told me they regularly read this blog to see what is really happening. it is an antidote to the model of single propaganda narrative that now characterises mainstream media.
The stratospheric rise of this blog up the industry rankings is not actually caused by a sudden increase in popularity. That popularity has been there for years. But at last it is being measured.
The old wikio rankings measured the number of links from other blogs; in the case of political blogs, only from other political blogs. So clusters of New Labour, Tory and Lib Dem blogs, by constantly linking to each other, could collectively drive themselves up the rankings.
But over 70% of incoming links to this blog are from outside the UK; they did not count for anything at all in the rankings. Nor did the frequent links to this blog from the sites of major newspapers and broadcast companies in the UK and around the globe.
Ebuzzing now has abandoned the old wikio algorithm in favour of a much wider measurement, which draws on more reference sources, including twitter and newspaper sites. The result reflects much more the actual readership and influence of a blog than did the old wikio rankings:
More than 2 million sources are catalogued and analysed. The semantic content ranking is performed automatically. Blog and article popularity are calculated using our algorithm, which takes into account content shares and recommendations on Twitter, Facebook and the primary content exchange platforms.
I think it is hilarious that the huge wedges of cash put by Lord Ashcroft or Unite into the Tory and New War Criminal blogging propaganda arms cannot see off this old chap with his ancient laptop.
The internet remains a great leveller, and that remains reason to hope.
Well done, Craig and strength to your keyboard for many, many years.
Craig, thank you so much for your incredible work – on-line, off-line, in-between.
This blog of the few places that reminds me that there is still some sanity left in this insane world.
I read this blog because I remember you from university.
Cheers.
I think it’s a shame that you don’t carry advertising – at least so you can pay for the webhosting. Ultimately, someone’s forking out of their own pocket for that, and it would be better if it was advertisers.
Congratulations Craig and many many thanks for being such a sane voice in this mad and disordered world.
Well, I love to read your blog! And I am a nobody from a little village in East Sussex who believes you care!! So, thanks.
Craig, I remember picking up your first book in hardcover (and I usually avoid hardcovers like the plague) after hearing whispers about it on the net. A truly great book, very much like a more modern Graham Greene. In my opinion your work is made much more powerful by the fact you readily acknowledge certain shortcomings, it makes your actions all the more heroic. There are a million political leftist blogs around, very few actually break stories or have met the people they are writing about to provide character insights.
Cheers.
Craig,
I don’t agree with everything you write, but I admire enormously the fact that you have the courage of your convictions.
And it does seem that you are quite widely read by your former colleagues as well. By chance (at, would you believe, a well-lubricated Scrabble club meeting!) I happened into quite a long discussion the other day with a senior member of the consulate here in Hong Kong who was well-versed on your thoughts in several areas. And seemed, as far as diplomatic speak allowed, to be broadly in agreement with you on a lot of things, albeit that he clearly wished you were still inside the tent pissing out!
Keep up the good work!
Awesome news Craig – keep it up!
Wow Craig, fantastic, you always have been a star. Humanity needs you more than ever. Good job, keep it up.
Congratulations from Finland – keep up the good work !
Congratulations fron the Netherlands.
Keep it up.
Craig, I am sure noone would mind there being some advertising on this site if it was made clear the revenue was being used for charitable purposes? Maybe support for refugees, students or even projects in Africa.
Well done!
It’s a pat on the back,that’s for sure Craig and I hope that you feel like you are making a difference.
Your websites’s a rallying point for the other disillusioned ! You’re not alone !
Keep going Craig. Your words have brought tears to my eyes. You probably have no idea of how much you are loved and also admired for bringing light to shine above the dark morass of evil we are witnessing and experiencing.
You deserve all the plaudits. I have come to check your blog daily for updates. Your writing is measured and insightful, and you continually expose the mainstream media’s deferential treatment of the elite. The next time you are feeling down, take solace from the fact that in your efforts to expose the corruption of this world, you have no doubt opened many more eyes than mine, and will inspire many more to follow your example.
Great blog Craig. You have vision and goodness which are currently in very short supply.
Well done, Craig,and amen to all the plaudits on here already.I think there’ll be many more to come.
What’s more, I agree so much with most of what you say, which is like a breath of fresh air amongst all the putrid hypocrisy of the MSM.
Lang may your lum reek, as they say in Scotland, which posssibly,just possibly has the opportunity of becoming a beacon of a fair, egalitarian humane society after independence. A model for so many other countries and entities around the world.
Congratulations, Craig.
Keep up the great work. Your blog and MediaLens are essential reading. Great antidote to the mainstream propaganda.
Most advertising causes want and want is the precursor to greed. We can survive and grow without advertising. Admirable comment Mary and hats off to Craig Murray for faith in himself and to the loyalty of his believers.
you are the bringer of truth.
Please Craig how can we reverse the trend of degeneracy or as a liberal are your concerns only with the ruling elite or are talking degeneracy accross the board.
My concerns are us British are going to drag the rest of the world down to our level.
It seems to me our culture is driven around all guns blazing when as liberals are we not striving for the best.of everything or is it anything goes policy whic
h seems to be the doctrine of the left.
Yayy! Only read this now, from a comment made by Anders7777777777 on the French shootings thread. Many congratulations!
Don’t let the bastards ever get you down.
The truth is very popular.
Indeed Craig, we are not stupid – nor passive consumers of the vaccuity that passes for “journalism” in the MSM.
The only time I willingly choose to hear another’s pontifications is via the blogosphere and you are the first port to call.
Your independence, compassion, honesty and integrity make you literally Top of the Blogs!
VINCIT OMNIA VERITAS
Thank god there is an antidote to the poison of Rueteurs and Associated Press. Congratulations to Mr Craig Murray and all who work to keep this blog going
Only third?
😉
Congratulations Craig. This is a very important blog. And this recognition is a remarkable and heartening achievement.
I also enjoy the fine contributions from your regular commentators. And, for me, the lack of advertising is a very important statement in itself.
Thank you.
The guy getting the bronze medal often has the biggest smile