Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 479th 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 (30 April – 6 May, 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. This is the critical element that will determine how well the Lib Dems do on June 8th by Nick Tyrone on NickTyrone.com.
How will we do in the local elections?

2. 6 initial thoughts on the Lib Dems local elections performance  by Mark Pack on Mark Pack.
An interesting collection of facts.

3. What are the Lib Dems’ General Election prospects? by Mark Pack on Mark Pack.
How could things go wrong for the Lib Dems?

4. Lessons from local elections; Lib Dems outgunned but not outflanked by Lucy V Salek on …in pursuit of nuance….
“When our message is heard, we win! Onwards!

5. Business Insider names 9 MPs at risk from an anti brexit Lib Dem revival in the election by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England.
A few omissions in this list – but we could be seeing a return of the Huppmeister.

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. Waking up to a Tory landslide is not a fun way to wake up by Jennie Rigg on It’s not wrestling unless it’s in zero gravity – with tentacles.
A depressing thought expressed in an eloquent way.

7. Trans politicians election results: May 2017 by Zoe O’Connell on Complicity.
Sadly, nobody was elected.

8. We should go for it by Peter Wrigley on Keynesian Liberal.
Be bold, ambitious and radical, says Peter

9. Mid Suffolk – a quick and dirty review by Mark Valladares on Liberal Bureaucracy .
Interesting – but it doesn’t quite live up to its promise in the dirt department.

10. Diane Abbott’s troubles show all that is wrong with the British election by Matthew Green on Thinking Liberal.
Labour are raising important issues, however badly, says Matthew.

11. What the locals tell us about the General Election? by Richard Kemp on But what does Richard Kemp think?
“The Bird of Liberty is still flying and still fighting.”

12. 2017: General Election Day 16: Pause and reflect by Nick Barlow on What you can get away with.
Why do people stand outside polling stations. Oh, and there’s added Obama.

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