This needs a brief comment

Just after my (fairly reasoned) rant about the need for the blogosphere to become stronger and more important in politics comes the news that Iain Dale is to give up blogging and party politics. I feel that needs a brief comment.

First, as ever, full disclosure: Iain is a friend and has been since the early days of Politico's, the bookshop and cafe whose demise I still mourn. We worked together on the Conservative History Group until he gave up being its Director and have discussed other possible projects that came to naught in the way most projects do.

Secondly, his reasons are ones I can understand. I do not have a successful media career and do not want one, nor a successful publishing business. For all of that, there are many times when I feel blogging and trying to find subjects to write about takes up far too much of my life. That is why postings are sometimes few and far between.

Thirdly, however, I have always been somewhat uneasy with political bloggers who are part of the media and political establishment and have felt that they were preventing the development of an independent British blogosphere. The Daley dozen was usually filled with politicians of various calibre and journalists blogging at the expense of the more independent ones. (Before I get accused of sour grapes I should like to point out that there was the odd mention of this blog as well and more of EUReferendum.) I shall miss Iain's blog but that is a personal feeling. I look forward to his new website that will appear in January. But I do want to see more blogs that are not connected with the political and media establishment.