Loyal readers, I’d like to start this morning with a quick reminder to complete this online survey – it’s designed to explore the views and activities of the users of four UK Party-related websites – LabourHome, Labour List, ConservativeHome and Lib Dem Voice. The overall goal of the project is “to better understand how and why party members, supporters and voters in general are using the web and blogs to engage with politics and political organisations.”

It’s being conducted by the Hansard Society in association with researchers at the University of Manchester and University of Salford.

To do your good blog-related deed for the day, click here.

2 big stories

G20 to become world’s main economic forum
From the Times:

World leaders have announced that the Group of 20 developed and developing nations would become the top economic forum, spreading influence to emerging powers such as China and India.

The dramatic shift was announced by the White House as President Barack Obama hosted his first major summit in Pittsburgh, which was marred by occasional violence as anti-capitalist protesters clashed with police.

“Today, leaders endorsed the G20 as the premier forum for their international economic co-operation,” said a statement that was released today.

“This decision brings to the table the countries needed to build a stronger, more balanced global economy, reform the financial system, and lift the lives of the poorest.”

MPs’ expenses leaked over failure to equip troops on front line

The Telegraph reports:

The mole was among the workers who processed the MPs’ expenses files, and his colleagues included serving soldiers who were moonlighting to earn extra cash for body armour and other personal equipment.

The soldiers’ fury when they saw the way that MPs were lavishing taxpayers’ money on their second homes led to the mole’s decision to leak the data to The Daily Telegraph via a middleman.

2 must read blog posts

Conference Redux: a Little Explanation
Jennie Rigg explains how Liberal Democrat policy is made at Conference.

Stephen Glenn on the #LDConf hashtag’s most prolific users