Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 322nd 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 (14-20 April, 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. My Lib Dem membership is up for renewal, so I ask myself  “Why be a member of the Lib Dems?” by Neil Monnery on The Ramblings of Neil Monnery.
What does Neil decide?

2. Lib Dem defamation u-turn farce by Dan Falchikov on Living on words alone .
Dan is unimpressed with stragegic decisions of the leadership on touchstone liberal issues.

3. Some respect for Thatcher…and society  by Andrew Page on A Scottish Liberal.
Andrew suggests a more positive course of action for those who threatened to protest at Margaret Thatcher’s funeral.

4. By-elections boost for Lib Dems ahead of May 2 Council elections on Freedom Central.
Liberal Democrats are winning again.

5. So, it seems I am exempt from Leveson by Richard Morris on A View from Ham Common.
This is the week we find out that Richard’s blog employs fewer than 10 people and has a turnover of less than £2 million.

6. Two wee grumbles about tonight’s Liberal Democrat Party Election Broadcast by me on Caron’s Musings .
Some people are just never satisfied…

7. The closing of the Wye Valley line, 1959 by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England.
Another train spotting post. I actually despair.  Update: that reads a lot ruder than I meant it. What was in my head was surprise that posts about trains were so popular. In an entirely affectionate way.

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. We come to bury Thatcher not to praise her by Gavin Hamilton on The View from the Hills.
Some balanced reflections on the Thatcher legacy.

9. An increase in the rate isn’t the only good news for those on the Minimum Wage by Chris Richards on Chris Richards: Moving forward together.
Vince defies the advice of the Low Pay Commission to give apprentices a rise too. (Submitted by Chris via LibDig.)

10. Osborne, Thatcher, crying and emotions by Louise Shaw on From one of the jilted generation.
Louise wonders when politicians will catch up with the greater psychological understanding of this generation.

11. I will never compromise on freedom of speech. Ludlow Tories want to suppress it by Andy Boddington on Andy Boddington – Liberal Democrat.
Tories ask Andy to remove a photo of them that they are circulating in their own wards. Clearly much more important to them than improving the local bus service then.

12. Conservatives’ former Watford mayoral candidate joins the Liberal Democrats by Nick Hollionghurst on Nick Hollinghurst
A boost for Watford Liberal Democrats which leaves the town’s MP as the last Conservative in elected office.

And seeing as you all seem to like trains so much, I have another rail related blog post to share with you. Work started this week to re-open the Borders railway line shut by Beeching in 1959. Dan Falchikov has the story – and an interesting anecdote about a former Liberal leader. Don’t say I’m not good to you.

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