Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 251st 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 (4-10 December, 2011), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, 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. Nick Clegg’s verdict on events in Europe on Mark Pack’s blog.

2. Lib Dem MEP: British demands were “reasonable” on Mark Pack’s blog.

3. Where Do We Go From Here? by Alex Wilcock on Love and Liberty.
“David Cameron has… apparently shown that he’ll throw away the whole point of his Government to stop the Tory Party from eating him.”

4. Proud to be a Lib Dem by Richard Kemp on But what does Richard Kemp think?
As Nick Clegg announces a roll-back of Whitehall-centred bureaucracy, Richard reflects on the benefits for Liverpool.

5. Liberal Democrats and the budget deficit: two politics often forgotten on Mark Pack’s blog.

6. Why the UK has lost the Euro argument on Cicero’s Songs.
“The image of Britain is so rooted in the Second World War, that we have become imprisoned in a national myth which insists on our unique righteousness and moral certainty.”

7. This Labour candidate should explain herself on Jonathan Wallace’s blog.
On a mismatch between claims and action, in Gateshead’s Whickham North.

And now to the five blog-posts that come highly recommended, regardless of the number of Aggregator click-throughs they attracted. These are normally chosen using the LibDig bookmarking website for party members, the site where you can highlight blog-posts you want to share with your fellow Lib Dems. Remember, though, you’re still more than welcome to nominate for the Golden Dozen a Lib Dem blog article published in the past seven days – your own, or someone else’s – using the steam-powered method of e-mail … all you have to do is drop a line to [email protected].

8. Worrying signs Lib Dem Ministers thinking is being corrupted – They should not forget their roots by Matthew Gibson on Solution Focused Politics.
“If this coalition has taught us anything, it is surely that throwing ourselves in with the Tories has not been a move that will gain us votes. Perhaps the next thing this Coalition will teach us is that Lib Dem politicians are also prone to being influenced by the positions they hold.” (Submitted by MatthewJ via LibDig.)

9. A Liberal Vision for Education: There’s no point reforming our broken system. This is a new education system. by Matthew Gibson on Solution Focused Politics.
“The Lib Dems need to make themselves relevant again. The only way to do this is if we have a idea of what a Liberal Britain would look like. Education is a good place to start.” (Submitted by MatthewJ via LibDig.)

10. Welcome to the year – 2030 on Keith Nevols’ blog .
“Keith Nevols takes a look at how the British Isles may look in 2030 as a result of David Cameron’s isolationist approach to Europe.” (Submitted by Stephen Glenn via LibDig.)

11. Labour call to scrap the pupil premium by Jackie Pearcey, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Gorton North.
Manchester Labour want to scrap the Pupil Premium, calling it a “sham”.

12. What Lib Dems have done for Norfolk on Jonah Oliver’s blog.
“It might not all be plain sailing, but at least Lib Dems, in government and locally, are making a real difference for the people of Norfolk.”

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

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