Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our xxxth 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 (21-27 September, 2014), 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. £20 to have my say on the referendum campaign? No thanks by Andrew Page on A Scottish Liberal.
Andrew argues that there should be other ways than just a meeting that people have to pay to attend to listen to members.
2. No Alex, I wasn’t tricked. I voted No because I wasn’t convinced by you or your plans by me on Caron’s Musings.
My response to the First Minister’s comments that I have somehow been duped by the No campaign. I knew it was not very good, but the independence plans were worse.
3. Austerity: will Labour activists continue to stick their fingers in their ears? by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England.
Labour was clear on cutting spending ahead of the last election. They are saying the same now. Will Labour activists get it? Jonathan isn’t holding his breath.
4. Doctor Who: Nothing at the end of the plot by Richard Flowers on The very fluffy diary of Millennium Dome, Elephant.
Richard reviews last week’s episode but I haven’t read what he says because I haven’t watched it yet. I know. Call myself a fan, but this site doesn’t run itself.
5. Why I don’t agree with Nick on ISIL by Andrew Page on A Scottish Liberal.
Is this giving them the reaction they want and recruiting more to their cause?
6. “A Lib Dem Free Zone” by Andrew Hickey on Scinece! Justice leak!
Andrew takes exception to Ed Miliband making him an “unperson” by proclaiming Manchester a Lib Dem Free zone. .
7. The death knell for failed UK centralisation by David Boyle on The Real Blog.
David gets emotional about the referendum result and spells out what is needed for the future:
Somehow or other, the next government is going to have to find us a more effective, more innovative form of government, handing powers out widely to cities and counties, as part of a wider settlement that is far more important than the development of an English parliament at Westminster (another kind of centralisation, it seems to me)..
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. Campaign Corner: A postcard from Clacton by Roisin Miller on Campaigns and Comments.
An account of a productive day on the Lib Dem campaign trail in Clacton. And the best front garden ever.
9. On Party membership by Nick Barlow on What you can get away with.
The first in a series of posts about party membership prompted by the SNP surge in members this week.
10. The psychology of the morality of fiscal restraint by Louise Ankers on From one of the jilted generation.
This is a lot more interesting and practical than it sounds. Good debt, bad debt and why do we judge?
11.The Lib Dem pre-manifesto: the missing elements by Gareth Epps on Gareth Epps.
Gareth says the pre-manifesto lacks inspiration and needs to say more on protecting welfare and local government.
12. Wake up Westminster by Naomi Smith on Social Liberal Forum blog.
We need to get to grip with the constitutional anomalies in the UK, says Naomi.
Your bonus this week comes from Jonathan Calder who remembers a 1987 Channel 4 drama called Brond. His post led to a Twitter exchange with John Hannah, who was in it.
And that’s it for another week. Happy blogging ‘n’ reading ‘n’ nominating.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings