Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 452nd 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 (-, 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. Still a Lib Dem by Jennie Rigg on Gin-sodden strumpet.
It is not easy proposing a motion you passionately believe in knowing that one of your best friends equally passionately opposes it. Many of us were so relieved to see this post.

2.  Trying to explain “forced academisation” aka the Tory nationalisation of schools by Stephen Tall on Stephen Tall.
“Where will the capacity for school’s self improvement come from?” Interesting observation that Tories’ perspective skewed because they went to private schools.

3. Do the Lib Dems need a big idea? My answer is…by David Boyle on The Real Blog.
It’s one we are hearing more and more about these days. Could the basic income be the Big Liberal Idea of our generation?

4. The politics of politics by Louise Ankers on From one of the jilted generation.
Tim Farron wants us to recruit two new members each before the end of this month. But what’s in it for them, asks Louise.

5. Liberal Democrats back all women shortlists – LATEST by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England.
Not what you may have been thinking.

6.  On sexual harassment: a post too sweary for LDV by Jennie Rigg on Gin-sodden strumpet.
Actually, if she’d sent this brilliant riposte to all those men who drearily moaned that they didn’t understand how they should behave around women, we would happily have published it.

7.  Scottish constituency candidates latest news by Dawud Islam on Lib Dem Hame.
The full up to date list of who is standing in the Holyrood seats.

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. Electoral history of Bristol Liberal Democrats 1973-2016  by Stephen Williams on Stephen Williams’ blog.
Fascinating from Stephen – how many names can you recognise?

9.  The Snoopers’ Charter vote shows Labour to be a terrible opposition again  by Ciaran Morrissey on The Libertine.
For years Labour slated us for propping up the Tories, now they are enabling them to do worse.

10. Danny Alexander and the Spongebob Squarepants lunchbox by Phil Reilly on Blimey O’Reilly.
The inside story of one man and his yellow box.

11. Day 5554: Zombie economics rising by Richard Flowers on The very fluffy diary of Millennium Dome, Elephant.
Richard isn’t wildly impressed with the Budget.

12. Investigatory Powers speech to Lib Dem Conference by Zoe O’Connell on Complicity.
Zoe is one of the relatively few people among us who actually understands this stuff from a technical point of view. We should listen to her.

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