Boo hoo!

Well the Total Politics blog awards (Scottish section!) caught me on the hop a bit (I had assumed they would be announced at a later date) because I wanted to close this blog before they were announced, lest anyone thought that it was being put out of its misery in a poll-induced huff.

However, in a way it's reassuring that Planet Politics has dropped from 20th place last year to who-knows-where, because this clearly helps rationalise its termination. On the other hand, part of me was hoping for a nudge up the rankings, because in view of the number of blogs which had either disappeared and/or amalgamated since finishing above this blog last year - Tom Harris, SNP Tactical Voting, Mr Eugenides, Stephen's Liberal Journal, Two Doctors, Malc in the Burgh - then Planet Politics would only have to tread water to gain a few places. And indeed others in a similar position but which more unexpectedly don't figure this year - Caron's Musings, Alex Massie, Al Jahom's Final Word (never a Scottish politics blog anyway!), Will Patterson, Blether With Brian, Rantin' Rab - provides further encouragement. That's twelve of the nineteen blogs finishing above Planet Politics last year not figuring in the results this time round!

Of course, some replacement/amalgamated/shiny new blogs were always going to replace the disappearing dozen anyway - Better Nation, Labour Hame, Burdz Eye View - and others - Bella Caledonia, Scot Kelly, Moridura, Munguin's Republic - have climbed substantially to enter the Top 20 (last year's results ranked the Top 50 Scottish blogs). Also, Kezia Dugdale and Gerry Hassan have gained a few places to enter the Top 20.

Less expected new entrants to the Top 20 are A Scottish Liberal, Newsnet Scotland, Suitably Despairing and SNP.org.

Other new entrants to the Top 25 are View From The Hills, Iain Macwhirter, Alba Matters and The Shoogly Peg, while The Universality of Cheese reappears at 25.

[bitching overdrive mode]Of course, as is usual in such polls some of the blogs and their positioning is questionable to say the least. For example, at least two of these 'blogs' - Gerry Hassan, Iain Macwhirter - are merely MSM articles reproduced on a blogging platform, which seems to defeat the purpose of the whole thing.

And, for example, Mark MacLachlan didn't post anything at all to his Universality of Cheese blog between May and the date of the poll (on the other hand, his omission from last year's Top 50 was questionable). Likewise Doug Daniel hasn't posted to his Alba Matters blog since June, and indeed has averaged only about four posts per month in the preceding half year. Moreover, the omission of Caron's Musings from the list proves beyond peradventure that the whole thing is fundamentally lacking in integrity(!).

But irrespective of these quibbles, the fact that the likes of a sporadic blogger such as Doug Daniel - erudite, knowledgeable and articulate chap that he is - can usurp yours truly just underlines the peripheral relevance of Planet Politics, hence the decision to shut it down.[/bitching overdrive mode]

Oh, aye, and the point about wanting to announce this before the poll results were published was in case (on the basis expounded at length earlier) this blog did in fact move up the rankings slightly, which might have lulled me into a false sense of optimism and prolonged its slow and painful death!

Anyway, heartfelt congratulations and commiserations to all those with an interest in the poll results, particularly to the lads (and Burd!) at Better Nation for their well deserved (and hardly unexpected) first place.

And while it's hardly worth bothering about now, my final post will appear soon, if only because - like yesterday's rambling effort - most of it was drafted a few days ago, and also because my self-indulgence and self-pity is difficult to quell!