Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 417th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (24 – 30 May, 2015), together with a hand-picked quintet, you might otherwise have missed.

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As ever, let’s start with the most popular post, and work our way down:

1.Alistair Carmichael by LD Neath on Aberavon & Neath Liberal Democrats. Alistair Carmichael’s statement carried on the blog last Monday.

2.One of the best speeches I have ever heard…and…are you sitting down?…It’s from an SNP MP by Paul Walter on Liberal Burblings. Paul is impressed by the maiden speech of Tommy Sheppard.

3.That odd moment when you see your thinking end up on the front page of The Guardian by Richard Morris on A view from Ham Common. Richard comments on the Carmichael affair.

4.So. Alistair Carmichael. Time for me to bite the blogging bullet by Richard Morris on A view from Ham Common. More trenchant views from Richard on the Carmicahel affair.

5.Living on words alone: Kim Jong Un is guest editor of Lib Dem Voice by Dan Falchikov on Living on words alone. Dan makes an interesting comparison between someone who presides over daily torture and repression with a team of volunteers who want to avoid publishing nasty comments about employees.

6.Should Liberal Democrats accept defeat and join the two main parties? by Martin Petts on Martin Petts. “No” is the answer from Martin, explained with eloquence.

7.Be bold and liberal – from the centre by James King on King in Kilburn. James gives some advice on what we do next.

Here now is a hand-picked quintet of other blog posts which caught our eye this week:

8.Who are the new Liberal Democrats? by Richard Kemp on But what does Richard Kemp think? Richard gives a very interesting account of one of the many new members’ events happening up and down the country.

9.My early BBC interview about the early Tim Farron by Jonathan Wallace on Jonathan Wallace. A fascinating post about goats, ducks, quails, chickens and Tim Farron.

10.Time for the Liberal Democrats to end their obsession with raising the personal allowanceby Jonathan Calder on Liberal England. Jonathan argues powerfully about one of or Coalition centrepiece policies.

11.Alison McInnes finds yet another Police Scotland civil liberties infringementby Caron Lindsay on Caron’s Musings. Caron on one our most effective parliamentary performers.

12.Tim Farron as a pop star – the photo they all wantedby Jonathan Calder on Liberal England. An extraordinary photograph!