Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 469th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the five most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (12-18 February, 2017), together with a hand-picked seven 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. If Labour hold Stoke Central, it’ll be down to sheer luck by Nick Tyrone on NickTyrone.com.
And the fact that UKIP don’t have much of a clue about campaigning.

2. Nigel Farage and Paul Nuttall have fallen out by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England .
Could Trump’s new bestie be planning a leadership comeback?

3. To those saying Corbyn’s future is on the line in Copeland and Stoke, have you learned nothing? by Nick Tyrone on NickTyrone.com .
There’s the small matter of him having the support of Labour’s members.

4. #AE17: West Belfast. Will the SDLP or Sinn Fein lose out? Or both? by Nicholas Whyte on From the heart of Europe.
An analysis of a key battleground in the election.

5. Former Leicestershire Labour county councillor joins the Tories by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England.
Quite a strange move that an anti-Corbyn Labourite could find common ground with the Brexiteer Tories

And now to the seven 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

6. Westminster Wednesdays: The Executive by Timothy Oliver  on Lib Dem Newbies UK .
A canter round the powers oft he Prime Minister and Cabinet.

7. Why I’m pausing for reflection by Matthew Green on Thinking Liberal.
Brexit and Trump give Liberals opportunities. How do we get ahead of the game? Submitted by Anthony Fairclough on Facebook.

8. Day 151 by Josephine Hayes on My Remainer’s Diary.
“Dogmatic assertion is not an argument” says Jo of the Government’s response to the EU petition. Submitted by Jacqueline Bell on Facebook.

9. Trans politicians Part 1 and Part 2 by Zoe O’Connell  on Complicity.
Recognition,  for LGBT History Month, of all out trans politicians in the UK

10. Pay ratios, inequality and fairness by Dave Gorman on Liberalism5.
A much longer version of his thoughts on this issue.

11. Federal International Relations Committee: I’m going to need another set of coloured pens, aren’t I? by Mark Valladares on  A liberal amongst the country gentry.
A more personal account of the FIRC meeting

12. Conservatives discover “the north is massive” by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England.
This will be loved by anyone from north of Watford although to some of us the area in question is in the deep south.

And as an extra for this week, this one isn’t political, but anyone who’s ever lost their heart to an animal will understand how Rebecca Plenderleith feels on the loss of her beloved dog, Muffin. A wonderful tribute.

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