Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 308th 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 (6 – 12 January, 2013), 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. John Doran attacks Nick Clegg – not such a surprise really by Mark Valladares on The View from Creeting St Peter.
Mark does some research on the former Lib Dem supporter who had a go at Nick Clegg on LBC on Thursday.

2. Round up the usual suspects – “senior” Lib Dems write to the Guardian about coalition with Labour by Charlotte Henry on Digital Politico.
“They were obviously concerned with the success of the recent mid-term review press conference.”

3. The difference between David Laws and Nick Clegg by Simon Titley on Liberator’s blog.
Ideology vs pragmatism.

4. Racist picture cropping in newspapers raises its ugly head again by Jennie Rigg on Jennie Rigg.
Jennie has a new angle to “onesiegate”. The Telegraph wouldn’t even have the photo if it hadn’t been for one of the people they’d cropped out.

5. Labour humiliated in Liverpool by Cllr Richard Kemp on But what does Richard Kemp think?.
A farce in a wheelie bin.

6. Thoughts on “Call Nick” by Chris Sams on The ginger Liberal from Medway .
Chris had forgotten about the Clegg Magic.

7. Blimey, so that’s how you become Chief Whip by Richard Morris on A View from Ham Common .
Richard on arguably the Best Comment Ever on this site.

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. The Guardian’s continued attempt at torpedoing trans healthcare laid bare by Zoe O’Connell on Complicity .
Zoe finds a recent article wanting and inaccurate. (Submitted by Zoe via LibDig.)

9. How should Liberal Youth fit into the party? by Dave Page on Jazzy Hands, Serious Business.
As LY elect a new Exec, Dave offers some thoughts and suggestions on their role from an outsider’s point of view. (Submitted by Dave via LibDig.)

10. Olly Neville removed from UKIP position for not being a member of the Borg by Neil Monnery on The Rambles of Neil Monnery .
“Neil’s take on #Ollyshambles, or when UKIPs high command decided to remove the Chair of Young Independence for supporting gay marriage.”(Submitted by Louise Shaw via LibDig.)

11. Nigel Farage, political bounder by Cicero on Cicero’s Songs.
“Neither “Libertarian” populism nor Authoritarian populism are likely to deliver successful policy”.

12. The turn of the tide by Richard Flowers on the Very Fluffy Diary of Millennium Dome, Elephant
In Millennium’s mid term review, why optimism is good and what the Lib Dems stand for. Submitted by Alex via email

Baker’s Bonus: An extra just because someone took the trouble, after I’d completed this, to email this to me from their sickbed. It’s an oldie, but a goodie. Nick Barlow on the five people with the most potential influence on the Liberal Democrats. Did you see what I did there?

Don’t expect me to be this indulgent every week – I’m feeling rubbish myself so am overflowing with empathy.

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