Comments on: My top ten political blogs http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2008/08/my-top-ten-political-blogs.htm Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:02:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Shelby Hower http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2008/08/my-top-ten-political-blogs.htm/comment-page-1#comment-9891 Shelby Hower Sat, 10 Sep 2011 18:07:29 +0000 http://localhost/wp28/?p=1843#comment-9891 Appreciate your showing this " My top ten political blogs | Lynne Featherstone ". Your website is efficiently executed. I am just astounded by the information you have got on this web site. It explains tips about how perfectly you recognize this kind of topic. Just bookmarked <a href="http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2008/08/my-top-ten-political-blogs.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2008/08/my-top-ten-political-blogs.htm</a>, will return to find out more. I stumbled upon precisely the info I want just after looking all over and merely couldn’t retrieve. What a perfect website. Appreciate your showing this ” My top ten political blogs | Lynne Featherstone “. Your website is efficiently executed. I am just astounded by the information you have got on this web site. It explains tips about how perfectly you recognize this kind of topic. Just bookmarked http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2008/08/my-top-ten-political-blogs.htm, will return to find out more. I stumbled upon precisely the info I want just after looking all over and merely couldn’t retrieve. What a perfect website.

]]> By: Steve http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2008/08/my-top-ten-political-blogs.htm/comment-page-1#comment-1246 Steve Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:41:00 +0000 http://localhost/wp28/?p=1843#comment-1246 Daily Mail does quite a lot of traditional investagitive journalism. David Abrahams and Labour dodgy donor story was broken by Mail by journalists getting out of London and going door to door to all big Labour donors to see if there was a story.<br/><br/>How Daily Mail writes up stories is another matter. My tip is to ignore headline and read from end of story backwards. Usually buried towards the end is the other side of the story. It means there is enough there to work out a contrary view where appropriate (as it often is!).<br/><br/>Thank you for tip re Cornerstone site. Daily Mail does quite a lot of traditional investagitive journalism. David Abrahams and Labour dodgy donor story was broken by Mail by journalists getting out of London and going door to door to all big Labour donors to see if there was a story.

How Daily Mail writes up stories is another matter. My tip is to ignore headline and read from end of story backwards. Usually buried towards the end is the other side of the story. It means there is enough there to work out a contrary view where appropriate (as it often is!).

Thank you for tip re Cornerstone site.

]]> By: Jennie http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2008/08/my-top-ten-political-blogs.htm/comment-page-1#comment-1245 Jennie Sun, 03 Aug 2008 10:25:00 +0000 http://localhost/wp28/?p=1843#comment-1245 Steve, I don't only read those that I agree with, but I do tend to restrict my reading to those who can maintain a certain level of factual accuracy and civility. "Know thine enemy" is all well and good, but contributing money to the coffers of Paul Dacre and/or Rupert Murdoch would be a step too far for me, and even if you're reading the online version that's what you're doing, because the advertisers pay more for a site which is looked at more.<br/><br/>YMMV, of course. But to go back to blogging, if you want to find out what "the enemy" is saying, you're far better off dipping your toe into the murky waters of the cornerstone group blog or similar than reading Iain or Guido, whose posts are always formulated to maximise self-publicity. Steve, I don’t only read those that I agree with, but I do tend to restrict my reading to those who can maintain a certain level of factual accuracy and civility. “Know thine enemy” is all well and good, but contributing money to the coffers of Paul Dacre and/or Rupert Murdoch would be a step too far for me, and even if you’re reading the online version that’s what you’re doing, because the advertisers pay more for a site which is looked at more.

YMMV, of course. But to go back to blogging, if you want to find out what “the enemy” is saying, you’re far better off dipping your toe into the murky waters of the cornerstone group blog or similar than reading Iain or Guido, whose posts are always formulated to maximise self-publicity.

]]> By: Steve http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2008/08/my-top-ten-political-blogs.htm/comment-page-1#comment-1244 Steve Sun, 03 Aug 2008 10:20:00 +0000 http://localhost/wp28/?p=1843#comment-1244 Daily Mail? Hate their editorial line. But read it regularly. Only reading those you agree with gives you a narrow mind. Better to be challenged in toughts all the time. If you are in politics, you also need to know what lots of other people are thinking too. Daily Mail? Hate their editorial line. But read it regularly. Only reading those you agree with gives you a narrow mind. Better to be challenged in toughts all the time. If you are in politics, you also need to know what lots of other people are thinking too.

]]> By: Jennie http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2008/08/my-top-ten-political-blogs.htm/comment-page-1#comment-1243 Jennie Sun, 03 Aug 2008 09:51:00 +0000 http://localhost/wp28/?p=1843#comment-1243 "Love Iain and Guido, or hate them, or love and hate them both - they are a pretty much essential read, frequently breaking stories that are then ones we all pay attention to."<br/><br/>I know you know Iain, Lynne, and am wary of offending you, but I respectfully submit that this is a myth, and the more it's propagated, the more the mainstream media will buy into Iain's "granddaddy of the blogosphere" publicity, and the more we will remain insular and unattractive to those who, by dint of NOT linking to Iain Dale, get ignored by the "top table" and therefore the mainstream media.<br/><br/>I don't read Iain any more than I would read the Sun for political insight, and I don't read Guido any more than I would read the Daily Mail.<br/><br/>I'd also respectfully submit that James Graham is perfectly capable of empty personal insult, having been on the receiving end of an ad hominem from him before. He does some good 2000AD reviews, though. “Love Iain and Guido, or hate them, or love and hate them both – they are a pretty much essential read, frequently breaking stories that are then ones we all pay attention to.”

I know you know Iain, Lynne, and am wary of offending you, but I respectfully submit that this is a myth, and the more it’s propagated, the more the mainstream media will buy into Iain’s “granddaddy of the blogosphere” publicity, and the more we will remain insular and unattractive to those who, by dint of NOT linking to Iain Dale, get ignored by the “top table” and therefore the mainstream media.

I don’t read Iain any more than I would read the Sun for political insight, and I don’t read Guido any more than I would read the Daily Mail.

I’d also respectfully submit that James Graham is perfectly capable of empty personal insult, having been on the receiving end of an ad hominem from him before. He does some good 2000AD reviews, though.

]]> By: dreamingspire http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2008/08/my-top-ten-political-blogs.htm/comment-page-1#comment-1242 dreamingspire Sun, 03 Aug 2008 06:12:00 +0000 http://localhost/wp28/?p=1843#comment-1242 Tom Harris on message? Much improved, certainly, after a period when there seemed to be very little political on there. But look at this by Tom:<br/><br/>http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080619/text/80619w0004.htm<br/><br/>"19 Jun 2008 : Column 1068W<br/><br/>Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) locomotives, (b) multiple units, (c) freight wagons and (d) carriages were in use on the rail network in the most recent period for which figures are available, broken down by (i) train operating company and (ii) class. [211419]"<br/><br/>The answer:<br/><br/>"Mr. Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for<br/>Transport, but is widely available in the specialist press."<br/><br/>Some time before that answer, DfT has tasked someone on their staff with keeping the dept up to date on the allocation of vehicles, and then to assist in planning their deployment. So was that incomplete (and off message) answer Tom's fault or did the dept boob yet again? Tom Harris on message? Much improved, certainly, after a period when there seemed to be very little political on there. But look at this by Tom:

http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080619/text/80619w0004.htm

“19 Jun 2008 : Column 1068W

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) locomotives, (b) multiple units, (c) freight wagons and (d) carriages were in use on the rail network in the most recent period for which figures are available, broken down by (i) train operating company and (ii) class. [211419]“

The answer:

“Mr. Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for
Transport, but is widely available in the specialist press.”

Some time before that answer, DfT has tasked someone on their staff with keeping the dept up to date on the allocation of vehicles, and then to assist in planning their deployment. So was that incomplete (and off message) answer Tom’s fault or did the dept boob yet again?

]]>