Mary Reid

The Campaign for Gender Balance ( a Lib Dem group) has just launched the Gender Balance Awards - and they don't all have to go to Lib Dems!

The categories are:

• Best blog by a woman Liberal Democrat
• Best blog post by a woman Liberal Democrat
• Best blog by a woman non-Liberal Democrat

So get nominating!

James Graham has challenged me to suggest:

THREE Blogs that should be nominated for in the Best Blog by a Woman Lib Dem category

Lynne Featherstone - still the only female blogging Parliamentarian; perhaps the others are frightened off because she is so good at it.

Alix Mortimer - welcome to the People's Republic of Mortimer; witty and sharp observations of political life

Suzanne Fletcher - a councillor, and also fellow Mayor last year; Suzanne blogs pithily about local events

THREE blog posts that should be nominated for the Best Blog Post By a Woman Lib Dem category

Sunday, 29 April 2007: Asylum Monologues - this post by Suzanne Fletcher was shortlisted for the Lib Dem Blog Post of the Year, and it still moves me to tears.

Campaign for gender balance, Jo Swinson and female bloggers - Jo Anglezarke's succinct post attracted comments from many of us, and sparked off and informal campaign to get more Lib Dem women blogging 

Simon Rules ...OK - Linda Jack's blog is always lively, and often controversial; this post is about the informal house rules that can gum up organisations, such as the one that says that the Party President should not openly support a leadcership candidate

THREE Blogs that should be nominated for in the Best Blog by a Woman Non-Lib Dem category

Assuming I can suggest someone who blogs for another party ...

Antonia Bance - a feisty Labour councillor on Oxford City. She was outside the Oxford Union protesting while our Jonny Wright was inside blogging about the event - two fascinating pieces of citizen journalism.

Er ....

THREE living women you would like to see blog

Shirley Williams - my political hero who personally encouraged me to stand for Council; and it would be good to see a woman older than me blogging!

Helen Mirren - she's been my favourite actor since I saw her play Cleopatra at the age of 18 with the National Youth Theatre; she is still at her peak with no signs of a facelift - how does she do it?

Julia Goldsworthy - about time you joined us, Julia. And she can't pretend she doesn't understand the technology because we worked together on Matthew Taylor's website

So now I'm off to tag some others to do the same - and to do the nominations.