BritBlog Roundup 168: Is Boris good enough?

This week's nominations were dominated by the local elections, and the London Mayoral election in particular. So with thanks to NewsBiscuit for the photograph, let's get on with it.

Those elections in full

First a mention for the three bloggers who were featured on the BBC election coverage: Luke Akehurst, Iain Dale and Alix Mortimer. They all did a much better job than Jeremy Vine or David bloody Dimbleby.

And also a mention to Andy D'Agorne for recognising that the elections did not just take place in London. He went to Sheffield and saw strange goings on involving postal votes and taxis.

So to London. Susanne Lamido (that's Susanne with an 's') attended the count at City Hall, and The Daily (Maybe) has all the results.

"One of the ten cleverest men men in Britain" is worried that Londoners did not understand the electoral system, so I suppose we should be too. Pandemian has some ideas for making voting more exciting. And Burning Our Money gives reasons why you should have voted early and often.

So how will Mayor BoJo do?

Guido Fawkes declares the official liberation of London, whereas Rachel in North London fears the city has elected a celebrity buffoon.

Croydonian speculates on Boris's first 100 days. The more cynical Diamond Geezer has produced a newsletter for him so that he can get some ideas. And Barkingside 21 detects a climate of change in London - as well as leading me to the picture above.

Cruella-Blog has collected a range of reactions to Boris's victory. Other reactions to the elections - in London and further afield - come from Elle Seymour and Ben Brogan. More reaction still comes from Liam Mac Uaid (Respect), Dave's Part (Old Labour) and A Blog from the Back Room (New Labour).

Oh, and there was a Camden Borough by-election in Highgate on Thursday. It was won by the Greens, but comment comes from the Labour-supporting Theo's Blog and Belsize Liberal Democrats.


Miscellany

Phew! We'll give politics a rest and look at more interesting things for a while.

Other things have been going on this week. Charlotte's Web has been writing. In the Aquarium has been potting and Mother of the Bride has been hatching, matching and dispatching.

Meanwhile Feminist Philosophers has been to the Fem 08 conference in Sheffield - this week's place to be if you are not in London.

Elsewhere Amused Cynicism explains why people go anti-science, Around My Kitchen Table writes of extreme sports and adrenaline rush deprivation and Bag's Rants invites you to find the man in the coffee beans.

It tells you something important about the right and left of your brain, apparently.


Environment

Ruscombe Green worries about the bees and the bats, while How Can I Recycle This? has ideas for old washing machine drums.

Back in London, Northwest 6 reports on the restoration of some green space in West Hampstead.


Health

Random Acts of Reality has received his first letter of thanks as an ambulance man.

NHS Blog Doctor detects "a little sleight of hand from those dear ladies at the Kent Midwifery Practice".


Blogging

The nominator admits that it is not British, but Jewcy is written by Mike Godwin of Godwin's Law fame - the first person to mention Hitler in a discussion thread has lost the argument. Here he marks the law's 18th birthday. "If Godwin's Law had been a child, this year it would be old enough to vote."

And Freeborn John looks at why some people have such laudatory Wikipedia entries.


Politics

To finish off, we go back to a few political postings that did not concern Thursday's elections.

Gaian Economics urges the establishment of a "housing entitlement day".

Freeborn John has a second nomination, this one looking at government plans to force people learning to drive to use an approved driving instructor.

And Burning our Money turns up again too, looking at Gordon Brown's plans for a Great Leap Forward.

Finally, Blood and Treasure has found the perfect word to describe the prime minister.


Goodbye

Thanks for all the nominations this week. If I have missed any out or the link does not work, please let me know.

Next week's Roundup will be at Redemption Blues. And you can find the rota for future weeks here.

As ever, please send your nominations to britblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

Ciao.