Britblog Roundup # 14

Welcome to Britblog Roundup # 14, your guide to what we think is the best of British and Irish blogging over the past week. Much as it may surprise some outside these Isles there are some things that the four nations do actually do together (other than carp at the English) as the boys will show on Monday night when the British and Irish Lions rugby team plays Argentina in the first such Lions match on home soil in 117 years, just before the departure for New Zealand.

Nominations are sent in to britblog AT gmail DOT com so if there’s anything you think ought to be here just send it in for next week! Any subject, any viewpoint, we’re interested in those posts we should have, but did not, see.

First up is Guido Fawkes who has a great idea, a Plagiarist of the Year Award for the MSM. Who keeps lifting stories from blogs and printing them (and getting paid for them) without attribution? It’s happened to me, Guido, Recess Monkey, Coppersblog...I wonder if we could actually get the winners to turn up to the awards ceremony?

Clive Davis points us to a bit of class, opera reviews no less, at Jessica Duchen’s. Lorin Maazel shouldn’t give up the day job.

Norm of that blog sends in a piece from his guest poster, Eve Garrard, on a truly weird policy on plagiarism at one University. Only the women get punished...which ties in rather neatly with Guido’s thoughts on Marina Hyde.

Blithering Bunny on the advantage of centrism. He also emphasises Mark Steyn’s point, that it isn’t that you want to move to the centre as a political party, you want to move the centre closer to your position.

Liberal England has spooted a new affliction, Sion Simon Syndrome. Oh, how true.

Croziervision has a trio of posts (start here) on RSS feeds...he wants the full text in the feed. Comments from myself and others on what this might do to advertising revenues (not that any of us are making much yet). Join the debate.

Patrick also points to James Bartholomew on incapacity benefit. I do wish Will Hutton had read that before he wrote for The Observer today.

Oliver Kamm brilliantly skewers George Galloway with two quotes from the great man himself and one fact. Elegance in action.

Chicken Yoghurt is superb on the rise of managerialism as a political philosophy. While he and I differ on what should replace such it is quite marvellous to see him putting the boot in in such vivid style. British politics would not be dead (as he says it is and I concur) if it had more like him in the system. The Ben Affeleck/Marlon Brando imagery is also unique.

Tom Fuller has a short and interesting take on UK and US politics, thinking that Labour is making teh same mistake as the Republicans....that they will never again be the opposition.

Blairwatch is outraged at the UK’s failure to sign the agreement on trafficking in humans, NuLabour follows up with further details.

Breaking the rules slightly (Hey, I set them so I can break them, anyway, Holland’s closer to London than Scotland is.) a nive little piece of satire from a Dutch blog, on what a no (or nee) vote will mean, from Zacht Ei.

David Vance is, err, less than complimetary about Bob Geldof. Say what you mean David, don’t hold it in.

Militant Moderate takes an in depth look at what Glazer might do with Manchester United now that he actually owns it. He thinks a European Super League. I think he might go further...there are a couple of Mexican teams with junior franchises in the US. Man U would fly there and also in Japan, as extentions of the brand. Richard also got another nomination for this on what the Liberal Democrats should do now.

Politicalog notes the general weakening of consumer spending and ponders on possible outcomes. A perfectly timed election perhaps?

John Band points to the Militant Pine Marten who deconstructs proposals in the Queen’s Speech. Looks like the offense of Sedition is back. This is a must read for political and civil liberties geeks like me.

Bloggers of the Left Unite is a superb parody of a certain sort of communist nostalgic. You’ll never see people like Juan Cole and Lenin’s Tomb in quite the same light again.

Alfie the OK continues his fine run of garnering nominations for the round up this time with a piece on the 4 million quid Bar Mitzvah.

The Future is a Foreign Country (who now works for the Freedom Association) announces the start of their campaign against ID Cards. You can also sign this petition if the FA is not quite your thing. 2.999,500 signatures still needed.

Jarndyce at The Sharpener gives us what the results would have been at the election if there had been PR.

Andy liveblogs Southampton’s ultimately unsuccessful bid to stay in the Premiership.

You will want to watch this animation of the top 10 things the English have ever done for the Irish.

Squander Two slaps around a little those who obsess over the tiny amounts of chemicals to be found in the bodies of B list celebrities. Obviously, as Rob comments, better ban celebrities.

That’s it folks, the Britblog Roundup for this week. Get your entries in early for next week to britblog AT gmail DOT com.

See you then!