The biggest story in Scotland today

I was invited to take part in the ‘Bloggers’ takeover‘ at Liberal Democrat Voice today by Paul Walter who is guest editor of Lib Dem Voice today.

Paul invited a selection of bloggers to write today including yours truly.

You can read my opinion piece on the biggest story in Scotland today.

A huge thanks to Paul for asking me to write for Lib Dem Voice.

Scottish Lib Dem blogging goes from strength to strength

Well the Total Politics top 300 political blogs have now been announced, I was again astounded as my little blog has come in at 193 with a new entry - certainly my reading figures are definitely up and the best three days have been in the last 10 days.

My little blog is in the top 50 Scottish political, top 75 Lib Dem and now in the top 200 political blogs, I am so honoured and humbled - thank you everyone for voting for me.

Anyway, it goes to show that Lib Dem blogging in Scotland is going from strength to strength with Willie Rennie MP coming in with a new entry at 299, Bernard Salmon's sound of gunfire comes in at 292 also with a new entry, then there is me at 193 as said before with a new entry, then there is Stephen Glenn's Linlithgow Journal who climbs 46 places to 101 then Caron's musings (please note the use of the apostrophe) go and do it again and shock the blogging world with a new entry at number 67.

Then if that isn't enough excitement for the day then Lib Dem Voice publishes the nominations for the Blog of the Year Awards.

Both Willie Rennie MP and Councillor Fraser Macpherson have been nominated for "Best blog from a Liberal Democrat holding public office (The Tim Garden Award)".

Jo Swinson MP has been nominated for "Best use of blogging/social networking/e-campaigning by a Liberal Democrat".

Will Patterson of J. Arthur MacNumpty fame has been nominated for "Best non-Liberal Democrat politics blog" - it also appears that both Caron and I voted for Will. I did for many reasons, I don't agree with his political views (no great shock) but he does write a bloody good "page scrolling" posting.

Finally our very own Caron has been nominated for the "Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year".

The results will be announced at a sequin covered cushion event in Bournemouth on Sunday, now Caron cannot make it but I am sure Stephen and I will be there cheering Caron on.

Well done to all the Scottish Lib Dem bloggers and let's hope 2010 we go from strength to strength.

Total Politics Top 75 Lib Dem blogs - in at number 19

Okay, I had a little gloat there, and why not, you voted for me and for that I will be eternally grateful - thank you so much.

Again the Lib Dems in Scotland have done well with 10 of us making the top 75, that's a good 13% of the top 75. For the full list of 75, visit the list on Lib Dem Voice here.

A fantastic well done to Caron Lindsay who's musings came in at 7th this year up 37 places from last years 44th. Stephen Glenn's Linlithgow Journal moves up to 11th place from 15th, just hovering outside that top ten spot.

Third top Scottish blog goes to me, yes my little blog has done it again coming in at 19th place as a new entry.

In at 25 comes Bernard Salmon with the sound of gunfire who moves up from last year's 42nd place, right behind Bernard in 26th place with a new entry is Willie Rennie MP with what Oor Willie did next.

Now, the next placings are all one number better than they show on the list at this current time as there is a rogue blog in there which is not a Lib Dem blog.

So Scotland's only Lib Dem blogging Councillor, Fraser Macpherson comes in with Dundee West End in at 30th place a little slip of 2 places on last year.

Iain Dale, no, not that one, the Lib Dem one comes in at 40th place again a little slip of 8 places on last year but Iain has had a quiet year so it is great he is still in the top 40, with anything Caron can do.

Next comes our second blogging MP, John Barrett in at number 53 with a new entry with his Barrett's blog, followed closely at 54 by top Lib Dem candidate Katy Gordon with another new entry and bringing up the rear for Scotland is yet another brand new entry (5 for this year), in at 56 is Liberal Youth Scotland's blog and with such a great team writing for them, this is one to watch.

So, all the Lib Dems in Scotland in fact came in the top 60 - well done to one and all.

Liberal Democrat blog of the year awards

The Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year Awards, run in conjunction with Lib Dem Voice, are back for their fourth year. As usual, they’ll be awarded in a budget lavish ceremony at the party’s autumn conference in Bournemouth.

If anyone feels like nominating my blog, amazing (and thank you), read to the bottom on how to do it, its by email so is easy, but honestly, entirely up to you.

There are six categories at this year’s awards and they are are as follows:

* Best new Liberal Democrat blog (started since 1st September 2008)

* Best blog from a Liberal Democrat holding public office (The Tim Garden Award)

* Best use of blogging / social networking / e-campaigning by a Liberal Democrat

* Best posting on a Liberal Democrat blog (since 1st September 2008)

* Best non-Liberal Democrat politics blog

* Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year

To be eligible for ‘Best blog from a Liberal Democrat holding public office’, a blog should be written by a councillor, elected mayor, assembly member, or parliamentarian.

The ‘Best use of blogging / social networking / e-campaigning award’ recognises the expanding role of both blogging and the likes of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube in politics. It’s a deliberately open category: you might want to nominate a good campaigning YouTube video, or a particularly interesting Twitter feed.

The Best non-Liberal Democrat politics blog winner will be chosen by you, the dear readers of mine and other wonderful blogs (should you choose to take part). Once the judges have chosen their shortlist, these blogs will be put up for public vote on Lib Dem Voice.

The judging panel is still being finalised, but I’ll let you know as soon as possible which judges have blogs so that you can avoid nominating them, as they’re not eligible to win. Liberal Democrat Voice and any official party blogs (such as Home Office Watch) aren’t eligible either.

You’ve got until 4th September to nominate your favourites, but the sooner the better (and you can send more than one set if you’d like). Please don’t feel the need to round up hundreds of people to nominate your blog as the number of nominations aren’t taken into account.

Send in your nominations by email to ecampaignteam@libdems.org.uk and remember to state which award category you’re nominating for, in each case.

UPDATE: A great must read posting on Liberal Bureacracy on awards ceremonies.

Vote: Your top ten best political blogs

Email your ten favourite blogs (ranked from 1-10) to toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com

It's that time of year again, when Total Politics asks you to vote for your Top 10 favourite blogs. The votes will be compiled and included in the forthcoming book, the Total Politics Guide to Blogging 2009-10, which will be published in September. This year the poll is being promoted/sponsored by LabourList and LibDemVoice as well as Iain Dale.

The rules are simple.

1. You must vote for your ten favourite blogs and ranks them from 1 (your favourite) to 10 (your tenth favourite).
2. Your votes must be ranked from 1 to 10. Any votes which do not have rankings will not be counted.
3. You MUST include ten blogs. If you include fewer than ten your vote will not count.
2. Email your vote to toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com
3. Only vote once.
4. Only blogs based in the UK, run by UK residents are eligible or based on UK politics are eligible.
5. Anonymous votes left in the comments will not count. You must give a name
6. All votes must be received by midnight on 31 July 2009. Any votes received after that date will not count.

If you have your own blog, please do encourage your readers to take part. Last year, more than 80 blogs did so. We hope this year it will be far more than that. BUT, DO NOT list ten blogs you think your readers should vote for. Any duplicate voting of this nature will be disallowed.

If you do not wish for your blog to be voted for please email katy.scholes@totalpolitics.com.

There are many ways of measuring a blog's popularity. Wikio and Technorati have complicated logarithms which measure the importance of incoming links and traffic. Google Analytics does it by measuring how many people visit. But the TP poll gives blog readers the opportunity to vote for the ones they like and visit most often. It's not scientific. It's impossible to achieve 100% balance and no one pretends it's perfect.

The results of the poll will be published in the forthcoming book the TOTAL POLITICS GUIDE TO POLITICAL BLOGGING IN THE UK which will be published in mid September in association with APCO Worldwide.

So, go to it. Email your Top Ten Favourite Blogs to toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com

And feel free to nominate my blog, I really don't mind :-)

Lib Dem Voice needs help?

I am just reading a copy of the Times, and on the front page there is a headline "LDV rescue ruled out".

I thought wow, Lib Dem Voice hits the national headlines, but we can all lie safe in our beds tonight.

I can assure you that Lib Dem Voice is not seeking a £30milion bridging loan and is not in any financial difficulties.

Although on a serious note Van maker LDV has asked the Government for a £30million bridging loan, which has been turned down citing that the parent company, Gaz should cover the losses.