Winners!

A huge thank you to everyone who has taken the time to vote in this year’s blog awards. The number of nominations was vastly increased on last year which can only be a good reflection on the blogsphere in Wales.

The results were very close in a number of categories. However below is a list of the winners. Congratulations to them and keep up the good work for next year!

Best Politicians Blog:

Glyn Davies

Best Media Blog:

David Cornock

Best Other Blog:

Ordovicius

Best Welsh Language Blog:

Vaughan Roderick

Best Newcomer (for blogs that were established after the last awards of August 15th 2007):

Miss Wagstaff

Most Improved Blog:

Miss Wagstaff

Blog reviews will start back from tomorrow.

Time Out and Awards

I will be away from the blog for a few weeks so any updates will be irregular.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

However, before I go its time for the second annual Welsh Blog Index awards.

Last years winners are here.

Please email me your nominations at welshblogindex@hotmail.co.uk.

Nominations will close at 12.00pm on August 31st with the winners announced on September 1st.

The categories are:

Best Politicians Blog:

Best Media Blog:

Best Other Blog:

Best Welsh Language Blog:

Best Newcomer (for blogs that were established after the last awards of August 15th 2007):

Most Improved Blog:

There will be at least one new winner as last years best other political blog Normal Mouth has now left us.

Please put a link to this on your blogs and don't forget to get your suggestions in.

Keep up the good blogging friends.

Blog Review: 193

• Matt Withers notes Leighton Andrews jumping ship.
• Adam Price gives his views on the Welsh Office in his latest Golwg offering.
• Dylan Jones Evans looks at the Welsh Language.
• Guerrilla Welsh Fare looks at the decision to ban the Welsh flag at the Olympics. More here from Ordovicius.
• Up the Valleys looks at the dot .cym campaign. More here from Welsh Ramblings.
• Welsh Ramblings looks at leadership challengers in the Lib Dems and Tories.
• Ordovicius looks at the independence initiative.

Blog Review: 192

• Tomos Livingstone notes a lack of support from Brown’s allies.
• Bethan Jenkins looks at the case of a Mayor for the Valleys. More here from Huw Lewis, Beavan Foundation, Ceredig, Luke Young, Valleys Mam, Welsh Lobbyist and Peter Black.
• Welsh Ramblings looks at Huw Lewis’ leadership backing and Helen Mary Jones’ article on Independence.

Blog Review: 191

• Tomos Livingstone looks at the Lib Dem strategy in Wales.
• Dylan Jones Evans bloggs on Tory Bloggers.
• Peter Black notes Blair’s attack on Brown. More here from Ordovicius.
• Up the Valleys looks at calls for a London Style Mayor for the area.
• Welsh Lobbyist looks at the Tories aspirations in Wales.
• Welsh Ramblings looks at the Labour leadership contest in Wales.

Blog Review: 190

• David Jones looks at Civil War in the Labour party.
• Leanne Wood looks at enforcing the minimum wage.
• Dylan Jones Evans looks at ITV’s political coverage. More on that here from Ordovicius and Welsh Lobbyist.
• Guerrilla Welsh Fare looks at Rhodri Morgan’s views on how Labour can turn the situation around. More here from Welsh Ramblings. More here form Welsh Ramblings.
• Ordovicius looks at David Milliband’s potential premiership.
• Welsh Ramblings looks at issues with the minimum wage.

Blog Review: 189

• David Cornock examines the state of the Welsh Lib Dems finances. More here from Vaughan Roderick (translated here by Ordovicius), Welsh Lobbyist and Welsh Ramblings.
• IWA looks at Welsh sovereignty.
• Tomos Livingstone looks at the apparent bid by David Milliband for the leadership of the Labour party. More here from David Jones, Ordivicius, Valleys Mam and Welsh Ramblings .
• Adam Price gives his latest Golwg offering.
• Leanne Wood welcomes Dafydd Iwan to the blogsphere.
• Dylan Jones-Evans looks at the changing face of the Welsh political landscape.
• Ceredig looks at the media’s influence on the political narrative.
• Ordovicius gives the results of his poll on when to hold a Welsh referendum on further powers.
• Welsh Ramblings looks at which party is winning the facebook battle.

Blog Review: 188

• David Cornock suggests a less than positive slogan for Labour.
• Tomos Livingstone thinks a change of leader could only make things worse.
• Bethan Jenkins calls for more women to start blogging.
• John Dixon looks at the Tories at the next General election.
• Amlwch To Magor looks at the future of the Welsh Office.
• Guerrilla Welsh Fare wonders what ever happened to Mike Germans resignation.
• Half Blood Welshman notes rumours of a plot to oust Brown.
• Ordovicius notes a potential challenge from David Milliband. Welsh Ramblings picks up on Harriett Harmon’s denials.

Blog Review: 187

• Cambria Politico looks at the Glasgow impact on unionist parties.
• Tomos Livingstone looks at plots within the Labour party to remove Gordon Brown.
• Glyn Davies notes the future isn’t looking bright for Brown.
• Ordovicius looks at calls for Gordon Brown to resign.
• Miss Wagstaff looks at the video of Cameron on devolution.
• Peter Black suggests the Lib Dem bloggers are doing ok.
• Welsh lobbyist looks at David Cameron’s preparations for Government.
• Guerrilla Welsh Fare asks if the end is near for Brown.
• Welsh Ramblings looks at Huw Lewis recent comments in the Cambria Magazine.

Blog Review: 186

• Tomos Livingstone looks at the result in Glasgow. More here from Bethan Jenkins, David Jones, Amlwch to Magor, Half Blood Welshman, Heledd Fychan, Miserable Old Fart, Miss Wagstaff and Welsh Ramblings.
• Bethan Jenkins notes David Cameron’s views on a referendum for Wales.
• Peter Black looks at potentially closing down the Welsh Office.
• Glyn Davies looks at the “what ifs” for Plaid.
• Amlwch to Magor notes the SNP have the Tories worried.
• Ordovicius looks at Plaid’s dominance of the blogsphere

Blog Review: 185

• Tomos Livingstone looks at the Tories in Europe.
• David Jones notes missing Labour MP’s.
• Peter Black notes the Tories don’t understand a system they implemented.
• Amlwch to Magor notes Alun Ffred Jones’ appointment as the new Minister for Heritage. More on that from Heledd Fychan and Ordovicius.
• Welsh Ramblings looks at why the SNP could win in Glasgow.
• Guerrilla Welsh Fare draws attention to a Q&A on St Athan.

Top Ten Blogs

In early September TOTAL POLITICS, in association with APCO WORLDWIDE will publish the 2008-9 Guide to Political Blogging in the UK. It will contain articles on blogging by some of Britain's leading bloggers, together with a directory of UK political blogs, and a series of Top 20s and Top 10s. The book will be available at the Green Party, TUC, Labour, LibDem and Tory Conferences, where TOTAL POLITICS will have exhibition stands.

They're asking for your votes to decide the Top 100 UK Political Blogs. Simply email your Top Ten (ranked from 1 to 10) to toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com. If you have a blog, please encourage your readers to do the same. Iain Dale will then compile the Top 100 from those that you send in. Just order them from 1 to 10. Your top blog gets 10 points and your tenth gets 1 point.

The deadline for submitting your Top 10 is Friday August 15th. Please type Top 10 in the subject line. Or you can of course leave your Top 10 in the Comments on Iain's post.

Once all the entries are in a lucky dip draw will take place and the winner will be sent £100 worth of political books!The rules are simple:

1. Please only vote once
2. Only blogs based in the UK, run by UK residents are eligible or based on UK politics are eligible
3. Votes must be cast before Friday 15
4. Blogs chosen must be listed in the Total Politics Blog Directory.
5. You must send a list of TEN blogs, ranked. Any entry containing fewer than ten blogs will not count.
6. Anonymous votes left in the comments will not count. You must give a nameSo, once again, the email address to send your TOP TEN BLOGS to is...

toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com

(Hat Tip Ordovicius)

Blog Review: 184

• Tomos Livingstone looks at what has changed.
• Elfyn Llwyd notes the dates for the Presidential Hustings.
• Peter Black looks at MP’s opposing the Badger Cull proposals. More on this by Amlwch to Magor.
• Glyn Davies suggests Carwyn Jones is unstoppable. The views he gives on Rhodri Glyn Thomas’ resignation are also examined by Peter Black. John Dixon also addresses Glyn Davies post.
• Plaid’s Cangen Bontnewydd looks at the Welfare reform Green Paper. More here from Ordovicius who challenges the potential First ministers to give their views.

Blog Review: 183

• Cambria Politico looks at Don Touhig’s success on the housing market. More here from Valley’s Mam.
• Peter Black calls his fellow AM’s hypocrites. Guerrilla Welsh Fare gives a reaction to the post here.
• Dylan Jones Evans joins those looking at the biggest waste of £200k.
• Ordovicius suggests the Unions have Brown over a barrel.

Blog review: 182

• Betsan Powys looks at the ins and outs of the Assembly.
• David Cornock looks at an exchange between Elfyn Llwyd and Gordon Brown at PMQ’s.
• Adam Price gives his latest Golwg offering.
• David Jones calls for Edwina Hart to resign.
• Glyn Davies looks at the Tory tax position.
• Amlwch to Magor adds to the wasted £200k debate and comments on the remarkable aging of Labour supporters.
• Guerrilla Welsh Fare looks at the 2p U-Turn and S4C’s English Language commentary. The Cynical Dragon takes an opposing view.
• Heledd Fychan notes fears over increasing knife crime.
• Miss Wagstaff looks at blogging and employment.
• Ordovicius looks at the South Wales Echo’s comments on the Welsh Language and notes a re-election for Jill Evans.