The shortlists for the Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year Awards are now up on Liberal Democrat Voice. Meanwhile, the judges are beavering away to decide the winners, which will be announced at party conference on Saturday.

A quick reminder that nominations for the Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year Awards, to be awarded at party conference in a couple of weeks, close at midnight tonight.

Details of the categories and how to nominate your favourite blogs are on Liberal Democrat Voice. If you need some inspiration for the Best Posting category, many LibDem bloggers have highlighted their own best bits.

A quick plug for the Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year Awards, which will be handed out at our party conference in September, and which this year include a new category for non-Lib Dems, “Best non-Liberal Democrat politics blog”, which will be voted on by readers of Liberal Democrat Voice.

Nominations need be emailed to ecampaignteam@libdems.org.uk by the end of August. See my posting on Lib Dem Voice for more info, including the list of categories.

Über-blogger Alix Mortimer has tagged me with a meme honouring the launch of the Campaign for Gender Balance Blog Awards.

I’m delighted that the awards have been set to up. Women are shockingly under-represented in the Lib Dem blogosphere: around a year ago, there were more gay Lib Dem bloggers than female ones, and even now the two groups are roughly neck-and-neck. This year has seen a marked rise in the number of women contributing to Lib Dem Blogs, and hopefully their examples will encourage more female members to starting blogging.

I will shortly head off and submit my nominations – please do the same – but the meme first requires me to make some lists of threes…

Best Blog by a Woman Lib Dem nominations

I’m going to pick, Mary Reid, a good blog by a local councillor (and Liberal Democrat Blog Awards double winner), and Jo Anglezarke, who’s one of several entertaining new women bloggers, and has thankfully switched from MySpace.

Somewhat embarrassingly since Alix tagged me, my absolutely favourite blog by a woman Liberal Democrat is The People’s Republic of Mortimer. It’s a joy to read, gorgeously written and generally marvellous, making Alix a welcome and refreshing addition to the party blogosphere.

Best Blog post by a Woman Lib Dem nominations

I’m going to be terribly unhelpful and shy off doing this. There are too many blog posts in the world and trying to pluck something from my memory is sure to favour the past two weeks (or days, more likely). I obviously should’ve been making a list as I read them…

Best Blog by a Woman Non-Lib Dem nominations

Over the last year, I have, to my shame, complete lost touch with the non-LibDem blogs I used to read (apologies to you all). This is something to rectify if I can find time in the new year, maybe with a new feed reader. I’ll therefore rummage around my blogroll for three worthy non-LD lady bloggers:

Rullsenberg Rules, whose proprietor Lisa has excellent taste in television; TV’s Emma Kennedy, who’s been in some excellent television; and the remarkably obsessive Boots and Bonnets, which in no way reflects my own lack of interest in costume drama.

Three living women who should blog

Hmm… We need more female Lib Dem bloggers and more blogging peers, so the interesting and knowledgeable Baroness must be one. Liz Sladen would no doubt be a hoot, although there’s probably not much she could write about The Sarah Jane Adventures while making them. Finally, and not very originally, it would be fascinating to read the Queen’s blog.

Now I need to tag some more bloggers. Let’s say, Alex, Gavin, Stephen, Nick and Gareth. Da rules are on James G’s site. Thank you please.