What blogs should I be reading?

The first week of 18 Doughty Street Talk TV has drawn to a close and I hope some of you have managed to tune in and have enjoyed the output.  Please visit our Watch Again page to catch up with some of the week's highlights...

• My exclusive interview with Australian Prime Minister John Howard;
• Iain Dale chatting to Ann Widdecombe (my highlight of the week);
• Our Culture Clash team discussing Oliver Stone's World Trade Center movie and Michael Gove's Celsius 7/7;
• Alan Mendoza's WorldView programme's debate on neoconservatism;
• James Frayne leading a discussion on tax; and
• Jesse Norman's Ideas Show explores the strengths and weaknesses of the 'prisons works' policy.

From the feedback received so far it appears that the programme you most enjoy is The End Of The Day - our unrehearsed look at the following day's newspapers.  My own Up Front programme is likely to evolve into something more like The End Of The Day but with a focus on blogs and websites - rather than the dead tree press.  I'm in the process of drawing up a list of blogs that I'll search every day.  Which blogs would you recommend that I visit for sharp reporting and opinions on politics, crime, the economy, foreign policy, religion and other major current affairs stories?  I'd be very grateful for your help...

Comments

[JT]

EUReferendum, Tim Worstall, Samizdata, Burning Our Money, Devil's Kitchen, Mr Eugenides, Melanie Philipps, NHS Blog Doctor, Devil's Kitchen, Peter Hitchens and Islington Newmania

[JT]

...plus
The Welfare State We’re In and EU Serf as well

[Alan]

My two, of course:
Daily Propaganda
Prison Works

And these:
Choice Cuts
Ellee Seymour
Prague Tory
Dizzy Thinks
Anyone but Ken

[Dontmakemelaugh]

EUReferendum is a must; Dhimmi Watch; Laban Tall; Daily Ablution; biased-bbc and links.

You can mostly laugh or cry along with those blogs authors and contributors, as opposed to laughing at them.

Congratulations to all at 18 Doughty Street - excellent stuff.

[UK Daily Pundit]

UK Daily Pundit

Eye on the UN
Croydonian
Bryan Appleyard
Wires From the Bunker

[Esbonio]

Ditto for most of the above. Also an Englishman's Castle

[christina speight]

For sheer professional research EUReferendum is a MUST!
It started life as a blog for the EU Constitution Referendum but Blair wriggled out of that and the North / Szamuely combinattion turned their attention to other matters. Notable issues lately have been defence equipment (lack of and why!) the dumbed-down MSM, the UN etc.

The FT ranks it as second in the top UK political blogs.

[Cardinal Pirelli]

I would also counsel that mention should be made of a site's political leanings if possible. The widespread view, unfortunately, is that the channel equates to 'tory TV' so this appears quite necessary, otherwise everything is taken as reflecting that belief.

On the subject surely Guido Fawkes, or is that asking for trouble?

[Editor]

I have to disagree with you on EU Referendum Christina. Richard North published a lie about how this site was funded. I asked him to retract and he refused. When you know someone has such a disregard for truth it is very difficult to respect anything else they write.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions of blogs. Really helpful. Please keep them coming...

[Chris Palmer]

The Mincing Metrosexual

[Elvis]

Tim, can I humbly suggest you take an hour or so away from the screens occassionally to get some exercise. I thought you were looking a little 'fuller in figure' when I saw you at conference...

Hope you don't mind me mentioning it..

[Cranmer]

His Grace has to agree with the Editor on the EU Referendum blog. Mr North is a man of manifest intellect, but this is fused with assertions of infallible opinion and no humility. It is, indeed, difficult to discern the truth from his truth.

[Editor]

Thank you Elvis! You are quite right. I must eat less and exercise more...

[TomTom]

The Brussels Journal

USS Neverdock

ARRSE

Gates of Vienna

Pajamas Media

Istanbul Tory

The Zonka Blog

Tim Blair

Statewatch

Russia Blog

The Magistrate's Blog

[JT]

Editor, I agree that where the authors of the EU Referendum blog make unsubstantiated allegations about you that you deny, then not only are you perfectly entitled to protest, but it would not altogether be unsurprising if you were to ignore them. However, I think that would be a mistake.

They do often write pieces which are substantiated and which do give a more accurate and insightful account of what is going on than many other news and comment outlets.

So I think that you shouldn't ignore the blog entirely, just be selective about what stories you draw from.

[TomTom]

Another Blog

http://www.welt.de/z/plog/blog.php/the_free_west

[Patsy Sergeant]

What a fantastic reference thread this can be with such a varied list of blog-sites to explore!

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

"The Mincing Metrosexual"

Too left-wing, too infrequently updated and too under-read to pass muster.

Sir Mincelot is also too pro-BBC, pro-C4, pro-Kyoto, pro-UN and pro-MakeTradeFair.com to sit comfortably alongside the other bloggers mentioned.

[Tapestry]

What's wrong with Dales's UK Guide To Political Blogging.

Blogs vary all the time. Most have good phases when they're interesting and on the spot, and phases when they're not. I don't think it's that easy to say where the best stuff will come from.

Political Betting always gets a few debates going and might be called the thinking person's blog. Guido's the blog equivalent of The Sun. Dale's the Daily Mail. CH - The Times. Rightlinks is an easy place to scan who's doing what topics.

Try to take from many sources. and vary the diet.

[christina speight]

Editor - You're stamping your foot methinks. This blog can't cost nothing not only in direct costs but in time. YOU failed to answer the allegation and just pooh-poohed it.

I for one reserve judgment on that issue for, you must admit, this blog is a very strange animal - packed to the gunwales with the kind of Cameroons I don't come across anywhere else. Are they all from CCHQ trading under pseudonyms ?

Numerous posters here say Off-blog that they have to use a pseudonym for fear of HQ action.

Meanwhile EUReferendum's research is the best in the business and the standard of bloggers there is one of the best. It alone led the fight to establish the lies told by the media about the Lebanon and the case is right now before the Press Complaints Commission.

and EG - Have you read the detailed analysis of the various defence projects? Utterly brilliant.

AND The FT thinks it the cat's whiskers too in its survey.

Your response looks remarkably like sour grapes.

[bee]

oh dear, yet again, a perfectly innocent thread is mutated into paranoid nonsense by Christina Speight.

The owner of this site has very reasonably said that somebody who lies about this site and is obstinate about not being corrected is someone he can ignore.

Mr Montgomerie is not accountable to some paranoid blogger who refuses to listen to his answer. I am not familiar with his allegations against this site, but I can say that it would not cost a huge amount of money to run a site like this, and someone of moderate means could easily fund it themselves.

In any case it's just silly to allow someone to insult you but then still link to them. I can't see that anyone would reward someone who abused them like this. And in any case EUReferendum is a pretty nasty site that does not engage in proper measured journalism, but rather unbalanced attack articles.

Your allegations about "you must admit, this blog is a very strange animal - packed to the gunwales with the kind of Cameroons I don't come across anywhere else. Are they all from CCHQ trading under pseudonyms ? "

are your usual alternate reality nonsense.

There are no Cameroons anywhere else???? So why is it that 40% of the country think he would be the best Prime Minister, and has about an 80% support among Conservatives. So on a ConservativeHome site you would expect 4 Cameroons to every anti.

In fact on other sites you don't see the number of ranting conspiracy theorists making up ridiculous nonsense about CCHQ nom-de-plumes that you get here. So perhaps it would be a more valid allegation to say that this site is in fact funded by shadowy far-right figures looking to undermine Conservative unity by supplying a place for the likes of you to moan about Cameron.

[TomTom]

Blogs

http://beatroot.blogspot.com/

http://www.muslim-refusenik.com/index.html

http://polishmatters.blogspot.com/

http://bhppc.blogspot.com/

http://therussiandilettante.blogspot.com/

http://fistfulofeuros.net/

[jr]

I respectfully disagree regarding Richard North. I think, despite how much he may have offended you, he would make an interesting guest. After all, if you can tolerate Yasmin A-B surely Richard North also! :P

otherwise:
http://www.brusselsjournal.com/
http://www.thewelfarestatewerein.com/ (James Bartholomew would make a good interview guest)
http://www.thecctv.org
http://www.samizdata.net/blog/

[Croydonian]

Apart from those mentioned, the episcopal blog at Archbishop Cranmer is never less than compelling, thoughtful, elegantly written and erudite. His Grace, in addition to observing the Seven Cardinal Virtues, is also too modest to tout for your interest.

[Danniella]

I would definately recommend the blog of the think tank Social Affairs Unit - lots of good material on neoconservatism and also radical Islam - and now alos political comment from "Watlington".

I would say this blog has some of the best material on it, although some of the articles are a tad long and they are rather too keen on art reviews and somewaht pretentious pieces by academics.

[Editor]

Christina: you write nonsense most days but today you have surpassed even yourself. How many times and different ways do I have to say that CCHQ does not finance this site? In January and February of this year I did some consultancy work for CCHQ on how the Tories could learn from the political use of the internet in America but that work was very specific and ended at the end of February. I work for 18 Doughty Street Talk TV (owned by Stephan Shakespeare) and that there is where my income comes from. If Richard North had integrity he would have corrected his post. How many other times does EU Referendum publish falsehoods?

[Cranmer]

Mr Montgomerie,

Mr North has today posted perhaps one of the most illuminating posts of ego assertion ever written by a blogger. He appears to have lost all sense of proportion: here.

He berates the entire worlds of politics and journalism ('intellectual pygmies'), with an assertion that only he knows the truth, or has the towering intellect necessary to communicate this truth.

His Grace has contributed these observations in the comment thread. It is sad indeed that a man of such ability is so devoid of humility.

PS
His Grace thanks Mr Croydonian for his kind comments. The Croydonian is a rich source of learning, insight, and subtle observation of the affairs of man.

[Deputy Editor]

Aside from the not-inconsiderable matter of attitude, EU Referendum is still of a very high quality and on a practical note I like its comment system.

A few new blogs for me on this thread, keep 'em coming!

[christina speight]

Bee - You're talking rubbish. The Editor asked for recommendations about other blogs and 3 of us recommended EUReferendum which is quite the best around. It was the editor who flew off the handle - not me. I made no criticisms until he attempted a hatchet job

And if as you say "I am not familiar with his allegations" you should only write about what you DO know
=-=-=-
And for Bee AND the Editor
Who LIED about this site? The Editor says Dr N: did but we only have his assertion. The Editor dishonoured this blog last week by allowing a Fake message to stay up purporting to come from a regular blogger. He was told about it but he used the fake as an excuse to ban the person who had been wronged and not only refused to publish disclaimers but was extremely offensive to the very person HE had wronged. So he hasn't got a leg to stand on in complaining about other people.

You should hang your head in shame at such despicable behaviour

And not only is an independent body rating EUReferendum as no:2 political blog but EUReferendum has had A MILLION PLUS hits in the last 6 months.
=-=-=-=
Cranmer sucks up for his own blog. Where did the FT rate that? How many hits has IT had in the last 6 months? Richard North is the best informed researcher around anywhere and has been employed as such by names familiar to most on this blog.

If Richard North is in despair at the state of this country and its media he's in good company. There isn't a responsible newspaper around today. The Times has been dumbed down, the Telegraph is sacking journalists and the Independent inhabits a parallel universe. The Red Tops - Ha!

=-=-=-=-=-

[Andrew]

Fairly simple way to settle ie: if anyone has proof that this site is funded by CCHQ, they can produve it.

If they don't, we can safely assume they just invented the whole thing as a smear.

[TomTom]

Cranmer makes some interesting points. It often seems that EU Referendum is US-funded with its US-good, EU-bad mantra bordering on the obsessional. At times it seems to have tunnel-vision whereby it is not the Eu per se but European nations themselves that are regarded with disdain.

[Deputy Editor]

Fairly simple way to settle ie: if anyone has proof that this site is funded by CCHQ, they can produve it.

Surely the proof is in the pudding? The allegation is plainly ridiculous, and does reflect badly on its propogators.

[TomTom]

Another Blog:

http://anarchomuslim.blogspot.com/

[Cranmer]

PS

Cranmer has received an email from Dr Richard North informing him that he has been 'banned' from the EU Referendum blog, and his recent posts have been removed.

His Grace is perplexed. It is the first time he that has been banned from anywhere. His crime? Not challenging the accuracy of Dr North's research and learning, but the tone and manner of its presentation.

His Grace has praised the man and the blog in his own writings, and even promoted it in the United States. This proclivity to censoriousness toward those with whom one disagrees is a very great shame indeed.

[bee]

the eu referendum blog & richard north is quite clearly not entirely all there. As other posters have pointed out, there is something quite scary about the fervour of its rantings and its one-sided allegations against for instance news-gathering organisations.

I find this trend to extremism rather scary: we have 1000 years of moderation in Britain, and a movement to US-style rants will not be to be to our benefit.

And btw Christina, the stuff about CCHQ sockpuppets is absolutely absurd, it makes you come a cross as a bit of a nutter frankly.

[Cardinal Pirelli]

Most have been political websites in a narrow sense, this gets a bit incestuous and could I suggest a few 'real people' blogs.

For the police -
http://coppersblog.blogspot.com/
http://inspectorgadget.wordpress.com/

for education -
http://frankchalk.blogspot.com/

for the medical profession -
http://nhsblogdoc.blogspot.com/

I have to admit that political blogs often get tedious with their rantings and I crave the common sense that comes from people doing real jobs!

On the eureferendum question, I quickly found that there were untruths being peddled there and that Dr North was quite happy to do this as he believes that the ends justify the means. I'm sorry but that is not acceptable in my book.

[Cardinal Pirelli]

"As for EU Referendum's claim that a Lebanese rescue worker seen in many photos from Qana was a "Hezbollah official," I e-mailed co-author of the site, Richard North, to ask for his evidence.

"All I have to go on is gut instinct," North replied."

Washington Post

Credibility rating for eureferendum - zero. That you are banning people like the Archbishop should give anyone pause.

I already know what your response will be but go ahead, the readers here will no doubt read it in light of the comments made above by others, including the editor.

[christina speight]

It's wonderful - Not only does the Editor who has dishonoured himself and the blog by underhand behaviour but, because he says so, all the predictable Cameroons on the list are coming out to rubbish the best blog around - (source 2.13m hits (ABOUT 600,000 in the last 6 months and FT endorsement).

When has this blog produced any information about anything. It is entirely derivative plus some - NOT ALL - juvenile comments. It's a licensed safety valve so that its real masters - even if NOT its PAYmasters (Note that Mr Deputy Editor) - can watch what's happening. But since CCHQ is totally out-of-touch with the real world in which people struggle to bring up their families ("in the 1970s the vast majority of staff were gay. Gay people continue to populate CCHQ in large numbers" Parris) in the face of family-unfriendly taxes they'll never get it right and will continue to promote a spineless creep as leader.

And - Bee - " the stuff about CCHQ sockpuppets (Wot dey?)is absolutely absurd, it makes you come a cross as a bit of a nutter frankly" Pot and Kettle comes to mind, for you come across as a typical bag-carrier for the Cameroon fan-club. Now can we stop the insults of other bloggers?

C.Pirelli - (didn't you have a calendar ?) WHAT "untruths (were) peddled". There's no spin there - North and Szameoely just tell it as it is - not like the spinning here. OK, so Richard N: has a justifiably short fuse but for information of that quality one has to pay some price!

[malcolm]

You should know Christina that the FT is arguably the most pro EU newspaper in Fleet St so am quite suprised the endorse Richard Norths blog so highly.Why I wonder?

[Editor]

This thread is supposed to be about best blogs please.

PS If you think this blog is so inadequate Christina you are very welcome to stop visiting. Please!

In terms of ConservativeHome only being derivative... I protest! A few things we've done that were 'exclusive'...

1. Led the campaign against Michael Howard's attempt to disenfranchise party members;
2. Given many members a place to voice their opinions on YourPlatform;
3. Instituted a regular monthly poll of Tory grassroots that is widely and regularly covered in the press;
4. Published the A-list of candidates;
5. Ran a competition for a new Tory logo that produced an oak design;
6. Initiated a search for 100 policy ideas for the Conservative Party (a search that resumes tomorrow after a two week break)...

That'll do for now.

[christina speight]

Editor - "

This thread is supposed to be about best blogs please.". That's why I tell you the best one around, the most respected and the most used is EUReferendum.

Your list is a paltry lot of initiatives. 1, 4 and 5 are totally derivative.

But one thing is totally unique is the way you reacted to a FAKE message, silencing the supposed author, being extremely rude to the supposed author who was in the right and then using THAT as the grounds for banning someone YOU had failed to protect. This was despicable -you rewarded the faker and punished the victim. And you have the nerve to criticise others.

Or could it be that YOU put up the fake message? That would explain it all. Or was it on instructions from CCHQ?

Why don't YOU publish a "hits" meter?

=-=-=-=-=
Malcolm - Yes strange, I agree, but then the research for the blog listing in the FT was not done BY the FT. They just decided to publish it and didn't highlight EUReferendum.

[James Howard]

Christina,

with respect I think it would be courteous if you stopped posting on this site.

I've left the party under Cameron, and rarely intervene in these debates, but your attacks on the Editor and commenters on this site, together with your paranoic conspiracy theories, make your comments a wholly destructive force.

It would best for all of us if you stuck to the websites you are more comfortable with, be it EU Ref or otherwise.

Thanks,

James

[christina speight]

James Howard - Do you challenge my account of what The Editor DID to this blog and to an innocent man (or woman). Because if you do, go and look for yourself. (The Editor does not deny it I notice)

You ask me to shut up on the subject . By doing so I would condone an abuse of power and you similarly ARE doing so by asking me to desist.

I must speak out against an injustice being done in the Party's name.

[Editor]

Monday Clubber was banned for being a repetitive, mean-spirited, conspiratorial bore, Christina.

Given that you defend and repeat Richard North's lie you lack moral authority to comment on my editorial decisions.

[deborah]

Please can we ban Christina for being a repetitive, mean-spirited, conspiratorial bore too....
..I mean pretty please......pretty, pretty please???

[christina speight]

Editor - That's UNTRUE and your own postings prove it. WHY DID YOU LEAVE THE FAKE MESSAGE IN PLACE FOR AGES AND NEVER ACKNOWLEDGE that it was a fake?

As far as I am concerned Dr North said one thing and you, provenly duplicitous - said another. I asked myself who was doing the better job and had no hesitation in choosing Dr N:.

And he disagreed wuth you and therefore became in your corrupt eys a "repetitive, mean-spirited, conspiratorial bore". Can't take criticism eh? I could give you a lesson - your and CCHQ's acolytes have taught me.

[Simon Chapman]

Christina,

You make some serious accusations about the Editor which look pretty defamatory to me. Although I am sure he is broad-shouldered enough to take it, you should be more careful about what you say.

But more to the point, if that's how you feel, why do you spend so much time on this site? I am genuinely puzzled.

[Ted]

I was pleasantly surprised having benn out of this country for three weeks that someone I was certain was a sock puppet for an already banned troll had been banned (though I'm suspicious that a new sock puppet has replaced him/her).

I'm not so pleasantly surprised to find Christina has become herself close to Wikipedia's definition - "posts inflammatory, rude, repetitive, offensive, off-topic or otherwise disruptive messages designed intentionally to annoy or antagonize the existing members"

This is not a Party Site - it's Tim's. All of us post at his pleasure or more probably stretch his patience but not usually beyond breaking - not by right. It's Tim's property and he can ban, shut down, close off, remove posts from anyone he wants. If you don't like that then go play on someone else's lawn.

Please go and play somewhere else.

[malcolm]

Christina, I know Tim a little and you are about as wrong about him as you can be.I would suggest that you listen and learn before shooting your mouth off again.

[Richard Carey]

It's a licensed safety valve so that its real masters - even if NOT its PAYmasters (Note that Mr Deputy Editor) - can watch what's happening.

I've been amazed by this ever since North's original delusional post about this one! As far as Christina and her friends are concerned, I've always thought of this site not as a "safety valve", but as more of an extension of "Care in the Community". A paragon of modern, compassionate Conservatism in action, if you will.

Back on topic, I'm afraid I don't have much to add to the above list of blogs - my must-click daily blogs consist mostly of CH, Iain Dale's Diary and Guido. Having said that, I've found some pretty sharp information on Dizzy Thinks lately.

And for what it's worth, I agree with some of the comments about the EUReferendum blog. Whatever the quality of the underlying research, North's (unwarranted!) patronising, holier-than-thou attitude seriously distorts the content in my opinion and makes it virtually unreadable.

[Editor]

Thank you Richard. I agree with you re Dizzy. I agree it's a special, up-and-coming blog.

[Julian Williams]

EUReferendum all the way. Yes they are rude and haughty, but they have the most interesting and incisive research on a very broad front and have consistantly been ahead of the news. They broke the "snatch" land rover story 6 months before the media, they attacked the fauxtograph in the Israeli conflict to great effect, they work closely with Chris Booker whose column has been a mainstay of the EUsceptic press, they have a deeper knowledge of the EU and it's working than any other site.

They are disdainful and sometimes arrogant, they are very rude to Christina but she can forgive them. I do not understand why you have to blackball such a valuable source for good stories.

If you dislike their arrogance you should show yourself to above them, not enter into a petty fight. It is unhelpful

[Jez Booker]

The editor asks for suggestions of which blogs he should read.

No. 1 should be Beppe Grillo's blog at http://www.beppegrillo.it/english.php. This guy is both corageous and funny. He's an Italian maverick and an insightful commentator.

And, Mr Editor, whether you like it or not, my No. 2 recommendation has to be EU Referendum.

I see lots of talk of banning people and everyone getting very emotional about this blog - which to me shows it must be doing a very good job.

Mr Editor, if you want to behave like the Labour party (or indeed the European Union) and ban or dismiss everything you don't like then go ahead. But your effort at a blog will be the worst for it. You're only a beginner at this.

Sincerely,

Jez B

[Monty]

The blogs I most enjoy at the moment are:

Dizzy Thinks
Bel is Thinking
Drinking from Home
Croydonian
Martine Martin

On the subject of EU Referendum, I feel that Richard and Helen do a generally fantastic research job. I only wish I had as much time as they have to bring This Scepter'd Isle up to that level of blogging prowess.

However I see I am not alone in occasionally finding the tone and some of the name calling somewhat needless and distracting.

[Annabel Herriott]

Mr Carey, I was meandering down this thread, having just been told about Christina's rants, and find I am in total agreement re CH's role in supporting "Care in the Community". More healthy than a dose of Melleril methinks.

[Julian Williams]

Annabel, in a rant there is passion, do not dismiss passion. On this forum there is plenty of vacuity and not enough passion. Passion has far more to commend it that vacuity.

There is a difference between ridicule and humour. Ridicule is base, humor is heaven sent.