Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 272nd 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 (29 April-5 May, 2012), 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. Details of Southport Lib Dem brilliant results-discuss the reasons by Iain Brodie Browne on Birkdale Focus.
The best results ever recorded in Southport by Liberals/Liberal Democrats.

2. Reblogged: ‘And it was all yellow’ – Why I’m considering defection to the Liberal Democrats Reblogged by Edward Sainsbury on Voice of a Citizen.
Tristan Pithers’ post on leaving Labour for the Liberal Democrats.

3. A post to share: ‘And it was all yellow’ – Why I’m considering defection to the Liberal Democrats by Hannah Claytor on Hannah’s Liberal Journal.
“Reading this makes me proud to be a Liberal Democrat,” says Hannah.

4. London elections – the Libs Dems need to rally the base by Matthew Green on Thinking Liberal.
“A repeat performance would mean that the party will lose its London MEP at the Euro elections in 2014.”

5. A Word on the Local Election Results So Far on Jennie Rigg’s blog.
It’s all about the turnout, says Jennie: “This is not a ringing endorsement of the Labour party, this is a big two fingers up to ALL politicians.”

6. and the countdown is taking place…and libdems kicked into touch on Chris and Eddie in London NW1.
Chris and Eddie didn’t get a single leaflet in NW1.

7. Politics by Design on Lynne Featherstone MP’s blog.
Lynne casts her graphic design eye over the London Mayoral candidates’ manifestos.

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. Time for a break by Eleanor Sharman on ceci n’est pas un blog.
“Is it time for the Lib Dems to split up writes Ellie Sharman.” (Submitted by Neil Monnery via LibDig.)

9. UKIP burn pictures of gay mayoral candidate in Soho by Andrew Emmerson on The Yellow Bastard.
“UKIP and their LGBT image problem.” (Submitted by MrBlueSky via LibDig.)

10. A message to any fellow students who have relished in voting against the Liberal Democrats… by Matt J. McLaren on Wisdom and Power.
“You should reflect on this cheery note: if the Lib Dems are annihilated at the next General Election it is likely there will be a Conservative majority Government. ” (Submitted by Matt McLaren via email.)

11. Labour Leaflets In My Polling Station – The Pictures by Andrew Emmerson on The Yellow Bastard.
What Andrew found next to his polling booth on Thursday night.

12. A week really is a long time in politics on Tristan Pithers’ blog.
Tristan reflects on his first week in the party.

And that’s it for another week. Happy blogging ‘n’ reading ‘n’ nominating.

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