Written by Richard Huzzey on 25th August 2007 – 8:14 pm
There’s still time to vote in the 2007 Lib Dem Blog of the Year contest, to nominate blogs for our expert panel. Find out more here.
But who, you may struggle to recall, is a publicly-elected Lib Dem blogger from amongst the many you’ve read? How many bloggers we read are secretly councillors? How many elected parliamentarians blog? How many blogs are actually eligible for the category?
I asked Mark Pack f he held such a list. He didn’t. I have therefore set out to compile one, despite my better judgement that this will be a boring and thankless task; but such a list probably ought to exist. It combines well with reading aroundly widely for the purposes of composing the Golden Dozen, at least!
This is an unofficial long list of everything which strikes me as eligible for the elected representative category, but not being one of the judges my opinion is clearly not final. They’re listed as ordered on Lib Dem blogs.
I have somewhat arbitrarily excluded elected contributors to Lib Dem Voice, given the nature of this blog. I’ve included Stephen Tall and Lynne Featherstone in the list, but noted (*) that they can’t win as they are the contest’s judges. Blogs that are not listed on Lib Dem Blogs are also marked (~).
My first stab is below; let me know which blogs I’ve doubtless missed. Where an individual holds offices in more than one body, I have listed the larger authority (somewhat hypocritically for a decentraliser and federalist!).
Adrian Sanders MP’s My Space page – Adrian Sanders, MP for Torbay
Niles’s blog – Alex Foster, Nottingham City Council
Andrew Milton’s blog – Andrew Milton, Lewisham Borough Council
Process Guy – Andy Strange, Luton Borough Council
Ann’s Sedgely Blog – Ann Garner, Bury Borough Council
Arwen Folkes’ Blog – Arwen Folkes, North Cornwall District Council
Liberal Action blog – Austin Rathe, Ashfield Borough Council
Bart Ricketts blog – Bart Ricketts, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Belsize Liberal Democrats – Alexis Rowell et. al., Camden Borough Council
Blogging 4 Wycombe – Trevor Snaith & Ray Farmer, Wycombe District Council
Callum Ringer’s blog ~ Callum Ringer, Bodham Parish Council
Moonlight Over Essex – Chris Black, Rochford District Council
Chris & Glynis Abbott’s blog – Chris & Glynis Abbott, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
3 Ps blog – Dave Radcliffe, Birmingham City Council
Republic of Hyde Park – David Morton, Leeds City Council
de moribus liberalibus – David Rundle, Oxford City Council
Oliver’s Battery & Badger Farm Councillor’s blog – David Spender, Winchester City Council
David Walker’s blog – David Walker, Bridgnorth Town Council
David Watts’ blog – David Watts, Broxtowe Borough Council
Duncan Macdonald’s blog – Duncan Macdonald, Barnet Borough Council
Blunt & Disorderly ~ Francesca Montemaggi, Cardiff City Council
Grangetown Lib Dems ~ Francesca Montemaggi, Cardiff City Council
Fraser Macpherson’s blog – Fraser macpherson, Dundee City Council
Weblog of a Liberal – George Beevor, Richmond Borough Council
Graham Watson’s blog – Graham Watson, MEP for South-West of England and Gibraltar
John Hemming’s Weblog – John Hemming, MP for Yardley
Jonathan Wallace’s blog - Jonathan Wallace, Gateshead District Council
Lynne’s Parliament and Haringey Diary – Lynne Featherstone*, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green
Mark Young’s blog ~ Mark Young, Llandyrnog Community Council
Mary Reid’s blog – Mary Reid, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Matt Davies’ blog – Matt Davies, Haringey Borough Council
Mike Barker’s blog, Mike Barker, Darlington Borough Council
Ming Campbell’s blog – Ming Campbell, MP for Fife North East
What You Can Get Away With – Nick Barlow, Colchester Borough Council
onlineFOCUS ~ Chris Black et. al., Rochford District Council
Paul Crossley’s blog – Paul Crossley, Bath and North East Somerset District Council
The Brunswick Blog ~ Paul Elgood, Brighton & Hove City Council
Paul Massey’s Swindon Village blog – Paul Massey, Cheltenham Borough Council
Focus on Sodbury, Yate and Dodington – Paul Hulbert, Dodington Parish Council
Peter Black’s blog – Peter Black, AM for South West Wales
Rhondda Cynon Taff Welsh Liberal Democrats – Michael Powell, Trallwng in Rhondda Cynon Taf Council
Richard Baum’s blog – Richard Baum, Bury Metropolitan Borough Council
Richard Stevens’ blog, Richard Stevens, Stafford Borough Council
Richard Thomas’ blog – Richard Thomas, Southwark Borough Council
Rob Nolan’s Lib Dem blog – Rob Nolan, Truro City Council
Robert Wright’s blog – Robert Wright, Birmingham City Council
Combe Down ward blog – Roger Symonds and Cherry Beath, Bath and North East Somerset District Council
Sajjad Karim’s blog – Sajjad Karim, MEP for North West England
Romsey Redhead - Sandra Gidley, MP for Romsey
Politically Restricted – Southwark Lib Dem Group, Southwark Borough Council
Shiraz Mirza’s blog ~ Shiraz Mirza, Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames
Stephen Robinson’s blog – Stephen Robinson, Writtle Parish Council
A Liberal Goes A Long Way – Stephen Tall*, Oxford City Council
The Webb Log – Steve Webb, MP for Northavon
Susan Gaszczak’s blog – Susan Gaszczak, Bedfordshire County Council
Tim Kent’s Whitchuch Park blog – Tim Kent, Bristol City Council
In My Shoes – Tom Brake, MP for Carshalton and Wallington
Finally, there is one Lib Dem parliamentarian who is ineligible as the award specifies an elected holder of public office:
Eric Avebury’s blog ~ Eric Avebury, 4th Baron Avebury
Perhaps we’ll soon see him returned to an elected upper chamber and thus eligible for this award. If not, maybe the category should be changed next year to include Lord Avebury and any other ermine-clad bloggers who join him in the next twelve months?
Tags:
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Best of the blogs 17 Comments »
25th August 2007 at 8:58 pm
Eric Avebury sits in the House of Lords as one of the remaining hereditary peers and was elected to that position by the other hereditary Liberal Democrat Lords.
He may not have been publicly elected, but one can argue he was elected to public office
25th August 2007 at 9:31 pm
I love it.
As that comes from one of the judges, we can take that as notice Eric is eligible?
Richard.
25th August 2007 at 10:24 pm
The current (Lib Dem) Mayor of Kingston is also blogging on http://www.shirazmirza.org. Not sure why he isn’t on LibDemBlogs.
25th August 2007 at 11:12 pm
Fantastic job Richard. Must have been hard work.
S.
26th August 2007 at 12:31 am
Does a Community Councillor qualify? Mark Young is a Lib Dem Community Councillor in the village of Llandyrnog.
Francesca Montemaggi, Lib Dem Councillor for Grangetown ward in Cardiff, has two blogs, one personal and one abouther council work.
26th August 2007 at 7:46 am
Thanks for the additions. Community Councillors definitely qualify.
26th August 2007 at 1:45 pm
Me – Paul Hulbert, Dodington Parish Councillor
http://localfocus.blogspot.com
I would be interested to hear from any parish / town / community councillor bloggers out there, to compare experiences. Please email me on .
26th August 2007 at 8:08 pm
Another one…
http://www.brunswickblog.blogspot.com
27th August 2007 at 1:08 pm
Romsey Redhead Blog has been defunct for over 18 months – disgrace that it should be nominated.
27th August 2007 at 1:31 pm
This is not a list of nominations. It’s just a list of all the elected Lib Dems who blog and are theus eligible.
27th August 2007 at 1:36 pm
Romsey Redhead is not “nominated” it is listed as the blog of an elected Lib Dem, which it is – because it has been revived.
28th August 2007 at 12:08 am
Callum Ringer is a LibDem Parish Councillor from Bodham in North Norfolk.
He’s apparently the youngest parish councillor in the country
http://callumringer.blogspot.com/
28th August 2007 at 1:12 pm
Have the parish councillors told ALDC of their existence? I believe they are trying to compile a list: emma.hall – at – aldc.org
S.
28th August 2007 at 3:43 pm
A newbie but great fellow Cornish blogger
http://www.trurocitycouncillor.blogspot.com
29th August 2007 at 2:23 pm
Alex Foster’s a councillor isn’t he…?
1st September 2007 at 4:18 pm
Michael Powell, Councillor for Trallwng in Rhondda Cynon Taf Council blogd here:
http://rctlibdems.blogspot.com/
26th November 2007 at 11:40 am
I can’t get my comment onto eric avebury’s blog .Is it screened in some way? Message concerns portrait by my grandfather and his query about photography. bruce ronaldson.