Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 405th 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 (28 December 2014 – 3 January, 2015), together with a hand-picked quintet, you might otherwise have missed.

Don’t forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox — just click here — ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging.

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

1. Is UKIP’s attempt to win over left wing voters rebounding on them already? by Nick Tyrone on NickTyrone.com.
It’s on a collision course with its voters, argues Nick.

2. Imagine successfully running a coalition with both John Redwood and Tony Greaves in the Cabinet by Mark Pack on Mark Pack.
Historical clickbait that proves that Earl Grey isn’t just a very tasty tea.

3. Toby Young abandons Tory/UKIP vote swap campaign by Mark Pack on Mark Pack.
Mark is disappointed by this development.

4. One weird political idea dies: the SNP won’t stand in England next May by Mark Pack on Mark Pack.
Three in a row from Mark – this one showing yet more centralising SNP control.

5. Is a Conservative/Labour grand coalition actually a serious runner? by Mark Valladares on The View from Creeting St Peter.
“Why should the prime beneficiaries of the current political system want to change it?”

6. Alistair Carmichael: “We’ll keep all our seats”  by Andrew Page on A Scottish Liberal.
Can you imagine the headlines if he’d said anything else.

7.  Police Scotland and Katie Hopkins by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England.
Jonathan finds something as sinister as Hopkins is offensive.

And now to the five blog-posts that come highly recommended, regardless of the number of Aggregator click-throughs they attracted. To nominate a Lib Dem blog article published in the past seven days – your own, or someone else’s, all you have to do is drop a line to [email protected]. You can also contact us via Twitter, where we’re @libdemvoice

8. 2014 was the year of the young person by Maelo Manning on Libdemchild, aged 15.
The many ways in which young people have made 2014 a better year.

9. Talk of a Tory/Labour grand coalition is just clickbait by Nick Barlow on What you can get away with.
David Cameron, you are no Angela Merkel, or words to that effect.

10.Universal Credit: is it the theory or the practice that is bothering Rachel Reeves? by Mark Valladares on The View from Creeting St Peter.
If Labour decide not to back it, what benefits will they cut?

11. Fraudulent, negligent, incompetent by Sarah Brown on Sarah Brown’s Blog.
On trangender conversion therapy. Sarah’s speech to the Leelah Alcorn vigil.

12. Comedy bits that crack me up No 3: Start you vicious b*****d by Paul Walter on Liberal Burblings.
I played the clip expecting to have a rush of nostalgia and be mildly amused. I squealed with laughter. Even after 40 years, this stuff is still hilarious.

And that’s it for another week. Happy blogging ‘n’ reading ‘n’ nominating.

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* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social