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The Conservative Party this week hosted a 'blog surgery' at its annual conference, while leader David Cameron has just launched his own blog. Alex Black il three popular right-wing bloggers what keeps them posting
Whether breaking stories, highlighting errors in ministers' statements, or simply filling in the gaps in lobby gossip, blogs have become essential reading for MPs, civil servants, hacks and lobbyists alike.
The 'right' dominates the 'left' in terms of blog popularity, most likely because attacking those in power makes better reading than sticking up for them. Conservative leader David Cameron has just launched webcameron.org.uk and the Tory Party conference in Bournemouth this week even saw a 'surgery' on how toset up and run a blog.
The top three are Guido Fawkes, Iain Dale and Conservative Home (see boxes): the first two are centre-right, while the latter focuses on what individual Tories are up to.
Other popular sites include Kerron Cross's blog (kerroncross.blogspot.com/), Libdemvoice.org, burningourmoney.blogspot.com and boris-johnson.com.
The broadsheets, too, have their own political blogs. The Daily Telegraph's Commons Confidential (blogs.telegraph.co.uk/politics/ commonsconfidential/) recently joined The Times' Comment Central (www.timesonline. typepad.com/comment/and The Guardian's Comment is Free (commentisfree.guardian. co.uk/index.html).
'Reach stakeholder groups'
Nick Keable, V-P at The Saint Consulting Group, says although many are boring and meaningless, some blogs are useful to test the political temperature.
"If you want to know what people in Westminster are saying, the right blogs will tell you what's going on,' says Keable.
Hill & Knowlton managing consultant James Barbour says blogs have yet to become powerful enough to change...