The following article appeared as a short chapter in the Total Politics Guide to Political Blogging in the UK 2010/11, which you can purchase for yourself here (and which I heartily recommend). Â One further thought – the article was written in July when I didn’t read quite so many blogs, thus there are some glaring omissions, for which I can only apologise profusely (I’m looking particularly at you, Bright Green Scotland, Bella Caledonia and Andrew Reeves). Â Anyway, I heartily recommend those sites, and some of the following links as well!
“The state of the Scottish blogosphere is one of change and renewal, of continuation and emergence, and of quietness and controversy. In short, we’re all over the place.
We’ve seen the focus of much writing shift from Holyrood to Westminster for the UK General Election (and likely back again for the Scottish Parliamentary election next year) which has changed the dynamic of Scottish blogging, with an outsider’s tone, almost – to my mind at least – mimicking the geographical sense of distance between us and London. We’ve seen the departures from the blogging scene of several of the most prominent voices – and fond farewells go to Scottish Unionist, Wardog, Julie Hepburn and Yapping Yousuf who have wrapped up their blogs. We’ve seen renewal in the shape of new voices – and old ones returning – maintaining a healthy spread of opinion throughout the Scottish blogosphere. And we’ve seen controversy on several occasions, which led to the closure of some blogs and (from what I gather) some difficulty with employers.
All in all, an eventful time in the Scottish blogosphere, and yet it appears that (generally speaking) we’ve struggled to maintain the consistency of posting which marked previous years. With the notable and laudable exceptions of authors at SNP Tactical Voting, Caron’s Musings, Stephen’s Linlithgow/ Liberal Journal, Subrosa and, of course, the fabled Tom Harris, who continue to exceed expectations with daily (and sometimes multiple daily) posts, motivation – and the time it takes – to blog seems to have deserted the majority of us. Inevitably the lack of blogging has provoked some introspective discussion, with Doctor Vee, J. Arthur MacNumpty and Planet Politics all contributing to diagnose the problem and determining in conclusion that it isn’t really a problem at all. “We’re in flux, we’ll go off and renew in time for the Holyrood election and we’ll have a grand old time when that comes round†seems to be the view from these luminaries. And so we shall, for even though the frequency of posting – and the number of contributors – feels like it is down on previous years, we seem to have a little more in the way of partisan balance in the Scottish blogosphere.
Nationalist bloggers still lead the way, with the aforementioned SNP Tactical Voting, J. Arthur MacNumpty and Subrosa providing frequent posts – SNP Tactical Voting covering somewhat more in the way of economic and environmental, and partisan, politics, Subrosa with a focus on more military and, I think, more “high-level†politics and MacNumpty the weekly round-up of all the goings-on in Holyrood and analysis of key events. More legal and articulate thoughts come from Lallands Peat Worrier while IndyGal, Bellgrove Belle, Calum Cashley and Scots and Independent give the perspective from representatives and would-be representatives of the party.
In Labour’s corner we have the Doctor Who-loving, PR-bashing Tom Harris, retaining his position among the higher echelons of blogs in Scotland. He is joined by Westminster colleague Eric Joyce, whose frank and funny blog is surely on course to challenge Tom’s dominance of Scottish Labour blogging. Edinburgh Councillor Andrew Burns still features with his “very brief comments†while activist Kezia Dugdale has moved from the Soapbox to her own website and blogs somewhat less frequently than previously.
The new UK coalition is somewhat more sparsely represented in the Scottish blogosphere, but what they lack in numbers, they more than make up for in frequency. The Liberal Democrats have the relentless Stephen’s Liberal/ Linlithgow Journal and the eclectic Caron’s Musings, while the Conservatives have councillors Cameron Rose in Edinburgh and Jim Millar in Angus. Neither party really matched their UK level of success in Scotland at the General Election, and their online presence perhaps reflects that.
Ready for an assault on the next Scottish Parliament election, the Scottish Greens have increased their online presence. Leader Patrick Harvie established a blog on his website (which carries a recent promise to increase the posting rate) while Two Doctors remains the Scottish Greens most prominent voice. The party itself have opened a blog on their website, and Aberdeenshire Councillors Debra Storr and Martin Ford have regularly contributed, while Suitably Despairing blogs from Edinburgh on matters environmental and frustrating. A sizable online presence for a party with just two MSPs – but with designs on increasing that next year.
The media have also upped their game in Scotland, with Brian Taylor’s analysis at the BBC probably the best of its kind. The Scotsman’s Steamie blog has seen collaboration between journalists and some of the Scottish blogosphere’s more frequent writers, though the latter’s contribution has lessened as the project has gone forward. Joan McAlpine’s Go Lassie Go blog is as informed as it is exceptionally well-written (and independent) while Alex Massie’s Spectator blog always makes for interesting reading. Newly arrived this year is Gerry Hassan, whose mix of academic and journalistic is a welcome addition.
Finally, there are the non-aligned – those many bloggers who are perceived as (or perceive themselves as) aligned with no political party. I like to think I’m one of this band, but critics will inevitably have me in a couple of different camps. Bill’s Comments Page – entering his eighth year blogging – deserves special mention for his longevity. He sits on the centre-right but with less of a focus on the Holyrood bubble than most, especially since he spends some of his time looking at Scotland from sunnier Spain. Also on the right, the inimitable Mr Eugenides makes a serious, funny and oftentimes crude examination of the political classes and finds them wanting. In another life, he’d be a script-writer for a political satire in the vein of The Thick of It. Jess the Dog is another who straddles the centre-right, probably with a more favourable inclination to nationalism than those previously mentioned, while Freedom and Whisky is a libertarian (and not a librarian as the original draft of this suggested!). Doctor Vee does, I think, tend more towards Liberal Democrat politics though you probably wouldn’t pick up on it through his eclectic collection of posts. He is also the mastermind behind the Scottish Round-up, a weekly collection of the best of Scottish blogging.
Ideas of Civilisation has recently returned to cast a philosophically unaligned eye over shenanigans while the Scott at Love and Garbage does the same from a legal perspective. Political Dissuasion seems to be angry about most things political while Planet Politics is also anti-politics. Both provide measured analysis, and both add much to the debate, while Underdogs Bite Upwards has become more vocal and outspoken in a similar role. Finally, though he’s been around since 2007, Dispatches from Paisley has increased the frequency of his posting, particularly up to the election and provided non-partisan analysis, while Scot Goes Pop is perhaps slightly more aligned but no less balanced for it. All in all, we have a fairly balanced non-aligned blogosphere, with voices from both right and left.
So those are the main protagonists – some changes, some renewals, new blogs and old. As for the controversy, well, it has come in several forms over the last year. In January, Universality of Cheese author Montague Burton (aka Mark MacLachlan) wrote some not-so-flattering posts about certain politicians – some of it not so different to what you might find on some of the more mainstream blogs at UK level. However, his identity as an aide to a Scottish Government minister was uncovered by investigative journalism, and uproar followed, including all sorts of legal aspects which this humble blogger didn’t really understand. In a similar case, Wardog, after his identity was uncovered, chose to shut down his blog after his employer didn’t take too kindly to being associated with his political views. Micro-blogging also provided controversy in Scotland when Stuart MacLennan, Labour’s candidate for Moray in the May election, was sacked after tweeting some ill-advised rants, while SNP Tactical Voting found himself in a bit of hot water for discussing postal vote returns, though that was much quieter on the news front.
As we move on into the next electoral cycle, the focus will turn more towards Holyrood and the upcoming Scottish Parliament election, as well as the AV referendum, scheduled for the same date. Along the way we’ll probably lose some more established writers, discover some new talent, see the frequency of posting ebb and flow and court more controversy along the way. A dull time in Scottish politics this is not, and though blogging here has almost taken a short break in the past few months, we’ll return with a renewed focus and energy. At least, that’s what has happened in the past. As for the future, well, if I knew how to predict that, I’d be a lot less poor.”
NB – Stuart Winton, of Planet Politics also had a piece included in this year’s collection, a tome on the decline of the Scottish blogosphere. Â If you like your blogging with a side portion of pessimism(!) I recommend his article, which he has published in full here.
#1 by Jeff on October 1, 2010 - 11:07 am
A very fair and knowledgeable account of the year that was Malc, good job, you published author you. (And certainly more optimistic than Planet Politics’ gloomier but no less worthy account of 2009/10)
The two thoughts that I have had on the blogging navelgazing front are:
1 – What would an ideal Scottish blogosphere look like? There is an apparent consensus that how it is now is not how it should be. I’m not sure where I heard it but there is apparently a philosophy that there is an ideal chicken somewhere, somewhere out in the ether, and all chickens are lesser variants of this ideal chicken. So what is the ‘idea Macblogosphere’ that the current lesser variant could, and perhaps should, aspire to be? More aggressive? More reflective? More investigative? If there is agreement that something is missing, what is that something?
2 – My second point is probably a broader question than this but I keep coming back to asking myself what made The Huffington Post The Huffington Post? One could similarly chart Guido or Iain Dale’s rise to prominence but I just don’t see that model applying in Scotland too well. I can picture a McHuffington Post though but what ‘breakthroughs’ are required in order to advance?
Actually, a third point is that Scotland has a wider space for a strong blogosphere than, say, England because it has a more lamentable mainstream media. Going up against the Times or the Guardian is a daunting challenge with the mighty Finkelstein, Treneman, Aaronovitch, and Toynbee in their ranks but contributing commentary that can sit alongside the Scotsman’s finest is arguably not quite as arduous.
Alternatively, of course, this blogging thing doesn’t add up to anything more than a pile of beans and it shouldn’t be taken so seriously.
Still a fine chapter and I may well be moved to buy my first of these series of books.
#2 by Mark MacLachlan on October 1, 2010 - 12:29 pm
Couple of points, my unveiling was in November 2009. The investigative journalist who outed me, merely asked Tory Boy, to ask about as to who Montague Burton was, he asked Jeff, who had met me on two occasions, where I made no attempt to conceal my identity or what I did as a living. Jeff, unsuspectingly told Tory Boy, who duly reported back to the investigative journalist. So, not much in the way of investigation there.
As to the legal aspects, I still have a breach of the peace charge hanging over me, no doubt Lothian and Borders will wait until the 21st of January, next year before informing me whether or not the PF intends to bring the case to court.
Regarding, Wardog, my ‘offensive’ post was a defence of him and his right to blog about his own observations. “His employer didn’t take too kindly to being associated with his political views” What utter mince, his employers didn’t force him to close down his blog, he chose to do this after the investigative journalist harried his contacts, in Scotland and further afield, to drop him as an architect of some renown. He received apologies from his part-time employers for their hasty comments, and was given hearty backing by his students and colleagues, but hey let’s perpetuate the tabloid myth as fact…
I have to say I’ve only visited here today as you flashed up on my statcounter. Seeing a reference to me and Wardog, I felt compelled to comment, bit like a stinky fart among the anodyne backslapping, I suppose. A personal thought here, you chaps might be better thought of, if you injected a bit of passion into your politics, you know be prepared to have a thought, expand on it and project it, defend it, rather than the flippy floppy milksop prose that you currently regurgitate.
regards
Mark
#3 by Sandy Smart on October 1, 2010 - 5:12 pm
It might be flippy floppy milksop prose (although I’m inclined to disagree), but at least it’s well written. I find blogs with atrociously constructed sentences and terrible use of punctuation impossible to stomach. Bloggers are writers and writers should be able to write. In my mind Mark MacLachlan’s comment has created an image of a pathetic and angry young man who has to shout to get noticed. Why? Because whatever he has to say isn’t worth listening to anyway. But I’m sure I’m wrong.
#4 by Despairing on October 1, 2010 - 6:17 pm
Thanks for the mention, Malc.
To pick up on a couple of Jeff’s points, what is missing from the MacBlogosphere (and in this age of 140 characters surely there’s a better name than that?) is gossip. There’s no one doing a Guido and reporting who had lunch with who or who is getting a backhander. It’s not really my cup of tea, but it’s notable for its absence.
Jeff also asks what makes The Huffington Post The Huffington Post. I think it’s simply the writers. People from all backgrounds are quite happy to write for them, including newspaper journalists who seem to like having a second outlet for their work. I had high hopes for the Caledonian Mercury in this regard but it doesn’t seem to receive much TLC these days. It’s probably the closest thing we’ve got to a MacHuff.
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#5 by Stuart Winton on October 2, 2010 - 9:25 am
Despairing, perhaps there just isn’t enough juicy gossip in Scotland to keep a MacGuido going, which is perhaps why the MSM makes such a song and dance about such things when something does come up like Duskygate, or whatever.
And, of course, such a site would depend on sources, but if no one wants to play ball then it’s not going to happen – given the dearth of such stories perhaps anyone who has one prefers going to the MSM. Perhaps Mark or even Scottish Tory Boy were MacGuido-esque figures once upon a time, but if what Mark says is correct then all his sources will have dried up now ;0)
Jeff, I suppose the point about Huffington, Guido and Dale is the old first mover advantage thing; if the blogosphere had been twenty years later then it would have been others leading the field.
Not sure if anyone ever really managed to exploit first mover advantage in Scotland, but perhaps it comes back to what others say about the lack of critical mass potential because of the limited size of the blogosphere/political/media bubble up here.
But as I said recently in my “Any chance of a MacDale?” post I’m not really convinced about the size issue.
And as per what Iain Dale said the other week – as quoted in my post – to an extent he clearly measures blogosphere success in terms of access to the MSM, so perhaps the problem up here is a more hostile MSM – if the blogosphere is ultimatley perceived as a bunch of people just talking to each other then there’s not a great deal of incentive to get involved, thus potentially a vicious circle of decline, and as I’ve argued this is exacerbated if the MSM just look to blogs for Cheesegate-type stories.
I’m not surprised that they do, actually, because if I was them I would see the blogosphere as a potential threat, and it’s perhaps only when it gets to a certain critical mass – which seems to be the case down south – that the MSM will take it on board.
Which in turn begs the question, what’s the point of promoting a distinctive blogosphere if it wants to influence or even become part of the MSM? Doesn’t it then just become part of the MSM/blogosphere continuum?
And I can’t really see it exerting any real kind of influence up here without the MSM interaction, so it’s a kind of catch 22.
#6 by Jeff on October 2, 2010 - 9:55 am
Good points Stuart. I’m not convinced by first mover advantage though as I daresay there’s not ‘that’ many Scots that read Guido, Huffington and Dale and, even then, read it for a different reason than they would a Scottish Politics blog o the same stature. There’s still a gap in Scotlad that could potentially be filled.
But I definitely agree that an animosity from journo to blogger wouldn’t help but so too would the animosity from blogger to journo. In the Westminster village that’s less of an issue and indeed, as you say, a catalyst for blogging to be more visible and celebrated in London.
At the end of the day, if a blogger is going to make it into the mainstream they hVe to muscle their way there rather than be invited.
As for the point of a blogosphere if the ultimate aim is to be part of the MSM, for me a blogger only gets into the MSM if they are saying something that no-one else is or can analyse events that others respond to and like, so no harm in either of those as far as I can see.
#7 by Stuart Winton on October 2, 2010 - 10:23 pm
Jeff, just to clarify what I meant by first mover advantage. Huffington, Iain Dale and Guido exploited that in their target markets, whereas if anyone did exploit it in Scotland then I’m not sure if they were able to maintain that advantage in the way that Dale et al have.
#8 by Allan on October 4, 2010 - 8:21 pm
Good post, and many thanks for the mention.
I agree with a lot of what Stuart has to say. Can I throw another point in though. Is it possible that among “Scottish Media” circles that the term “blogger” has become more of a dirty word than it has down south. I have seen various bloggers introduced on the television, with an element of distain attached to the term. I have also noticed that Gerry Hassan (who is possably the closest we have to a Dale like figure) is introduced by his day job, with no mention of his blogging activities.
That might be the real effect of the stories surrounding Wardog and Universiality of Cheese, a kind of tall poppy syndrome in reverse (if that makes sense).