LabourList
 | The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guideline for web content. (March 2010) |
 LabourList homepage in February 2009 | |
Type of site | Blog |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Owner | Company limited by guarantee[1] |
| Created by | Derek Draper[2], now edited by Alex Smith |
| Revenue | £28,575 to November 2009, excluding advertising revenue[1] |
| URL | http://www.labourlist.org |
| Commercial | No |
| Registration | Required to comment on posts |
LabourList is a British aggregated weblog supportive of the Labour Party. Launched in January 2009, the site overcame its founding editor's involvement in the so-called "smeargate scandal" to become one of the most popular and influential political websites in the UK with 305,000 readers in its first year.[2] Describing itself as Labour's "biggest independent grassroots e-network", the site's content includes news, commentary, interviews, analysis and opinion from various contributors and sources. In June 2009, LabourList became the British affiliate to American liberal news website The Huffington Post.[4]
Contributors and content
The site features material from a broad cross-section of the Labour movement from activists to cabinet ministers, in addition to regular posts by the editor Alex Smith and a core group of columnists, which include Paul Richards and Anthony Painter. Government ministers who have blogged on the site include Peter Mandelson, Ed Balls, David Miliband, Ed Miliband and Douglas Alexander, however the site has been praised for developing an independent, grassroots feel. Labour movement figures such as Alastair Campbell, Sunder Katwala of the Fabian Society, Jessica Asato of Progress and Gavin Hayes of Compass number among LabourList's other frequent contributors.
In 2009, Labourlist conducted 15 interviews with high-profile figures within the Labour Party, and profiled 40 parliamentary candidates.[5] Throughout 2009, the site held semi-regular guest editorships, celebrating Labour's youth movement and International Women's Day. The site also marked May Day with the Unions, Pride with LGBT Labour, and the Co-operative Party conference in September.[5] On 23rd December 2009, LabourList's Editor revealed a list of 12 of the most influential blog posts published on the site throughout the year.
Traffic and influence
Breaking news, analysis, opinion, policy and ideas, the site has gained over 305,000 readers visiting 2.5 million pages; 260 contributors writing well over 2,000 posts; 70,000+ reader comments; 3,500 subscribers to the LunchtimeList daily email; 3,200 Twitter followers; and 1,200 Facebook supporters.[2]
According to rankings by Wikio, which measure the "number and weight" of links coming in from other blogs, LabourList has become the second most influential left-wing political blog in the UK, the fourth most influential overall and the 18th most influential in Europe, and is growing in strength.[6]
In its first few months of life, much external commentary on LabourList was couched in the context of the site's problematic and controversial start. Writing on the publication of the Total Politics Top 100 Political Blogs, leading Tory blogger Iain Dale wrote: "Perhaps the biggest achievement goes to LabourList and Alastair Campbell, who both enter the top twenty after only seven months of blogging activity. For LabourList to appear anywhere at all following its disastrous start under the leadership of Derek Draper is a minor miracle in itself. But its new editor Alex Smith has established it as a serious left of centre forum in a very short time".[7]
By the end of 2009 in an article on left-wing blogging, the editor of ConservativeHome Tim Montgomerie acknowledged that 'there is more evidence today that the Left is getting its online effort together', citing LabourList, amongst others, for the growing credibility and influence of British left-wing sites.[8]
LabourList's coverage of an abortive coup against Gordon Brown in early 2010 drew more praise as the site cemented its reputation as a news source and a reliable barometer for the Labour Party grassroots. Gaby Hinsliff, the former political editor of the Observer, commented that the site was "coming of age"[9] while the academic Charlie Beckett wrote that LabourList has "recovered both credibility and relevance ... I suspect it will be at least as important as ConservativeHome in understanding Party mood and machinations in the future".[10]
On 29 January 2010, Labour cabinet minister Ed Balls MP said in interview that "LabourList is flourishing and agenda setting, and that’s very powerful. It’s brought a huge change over the last year. Two years ago, we weren’t on the field when it came to new media. Now, I think we’re ahead of the Tories in new communications. Our people are younger, they’re in the real world, they’re young parents or they’re students, so we ought to be ahead of them in new communications. LabourList and Left Foot Forward are really, really good. A year on from Labour people really grasping this stuff, the reality is now reflected in what’s going on." [11]
Controversies
On 11 April 2009, it was reported by the Daily Telegraph that Gordon Brown's special adviser, Damian McBride had sent a series of emails to former LabourList editor, Derek Draper, discussing plans to set up a blog which would be used to post false rumours about the private lives of senior members of the Conservative Party.
McBride resigned later the same day, and 10 Downing Street issued an apology for the "juvenile and inappropriate" emails. Gordon Brown later sent personal letters to those who had been mentioned in the emails,[12] expressing his regret over the incident.
In the wake of the incident, Labour sought to distance itself from LabourList owing to its connection with Draper.[13] Draper also came under pressure to resign his post as editor of LabourList.[14] Peter Oborne criticised Draper's failure to resign and his continued association with the site as "morally revolting".[15] On Wednesday May 6, Draper stepped down from his position as Editor.
References
- ^ a b "Contacting us, policies and statements". LabourList. 2010-02-14.
- ^ a b c "LabourList is One!". LabourList. 2010-01-10.
- ^ "Details for LabourList.org". Alexa. 2010-02-14.
- ^ http://www.labourlist.org/2009-a-year-on-labourlist-alex-smith
- ^ a b http://www.labourlist.org/2009-a-year-on-labourlist-alex-smith
- ^ "Top Blogs Politics!". Wikio. 16 February 2010.
- ^ "The Total Politics Top 100 UK Political Blogs". LabourList. 15 September 2009.
- ^ "The British Left is developing better and better online products". ConservativeHome. 2009-12-27.
- ^ http://twitter.com/gabyhinsliff/status/7454495141
- ^ http://www.charliebeckett.org/?p=2378
- ^ http://www.labourlist.org/strategy-quintessential-classic-new-labour-ed-balls-interview
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/apr/12/damian-mcbride-derek-draper-emails
- ^ http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4a4f003c-2863-11de-8dbf-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1
- ^ http://www.politics.co.uk/analysis/culture-media-and-sport/analysis-pressure-on-labourlist-$1287846.htm
- ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1169589/PETER-OBORNE-The-Prime-Minister-neck-squalid-affair-But-real-villain-Alastair-Campbell.html