Pretty good week for the blog, Monday’s CCHQ floor-plan was an object of fascination to thousands of readers and revealed that Ashcroft was out of Tory HQ.  To the Tory staffer who claimed that it was out of date, Guido has to tell him that it is more likely to be his version that is out of date.  Guido was first to report that Transport Minister Sadiq Khan had been caught lying and ordered to repay thousands. Thanks to EyeSpy.MP we were first to reveal (Sarah’s Discreet Tête à Tête Tweeted) that the dodgy non-dom Lord Paul was having lunch with Sarah Brown – before she had even finished her dessert.  The Race to Be Dave’s Downing Street Mouthpiece was the post that resulted in the most, errrm, ‘feedback’ from the Westminster politico-media village.

The email that tickled Guido the most was the one from a Jehovah’s Witness complaining that Guido had compared the LibDem theme tune to “a Jehovah Witness recruitment ad“.  They attached an MP3 of their choir and Guido confesses that it was in comparison Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.

If you were not one of the 57,785 visitors viewing 384,508 pages over the last seven days, here are the seven most popular stories (in order of popularity) that you missed:

• Cash Carrying Charlie Whelans Pop into Downing Street
• On and On and On
• Yes Wee Can
• Beware the Whelan in Sheep’s Clothing
• Lib Dem Choir Clanger
• Liam Gets His Fingers Byrnt
• EXCLUSIVE : Sadiq Khan Caught Lying to Lyon
  Tells Standards Commissioner He Can’t Remember ‘Mistaken’ Claim

You’re either in front of Guido, or you are behind…

If you were not one of the 59,667 visitors viewing 387,114 pages over the last seven days, here are the seven most popular stories (in order of popularity) that you missed:

• Gordon’s Scottish Snowstorm
• Voters Want Clear Tory Policies
• Absolutely Brilliant Feminists
• Do As They Say, Not As They Do
• Baroness Uddin – No Charges
• Troughing Labour MPs Plead Not Guilty
• Nick Hogan Freed by the Blogosphere

You’re either in front of Guido, or you are behind…

If you were not one of the 61,252 visitors viewing 417,935 pages over the last seven days, here are the seven most popular stories (in order of popularity) that you missed:

• So Gordon, About Your Dodgy Non-Doms
• The ‘Donkey Jacket’ Remembered
• Flashback : Has Tony Gone Offshore?
• Jonah’s Pharmaceutical Omnishambles
• Michael Foot Has Died Aged 96
• Ashcroft Admits Non-Dom Status
• Graphic Example of Media Influence

You’re either in front of Guido, or you are behind…

Almost forgot to do the numbers for the short month of February: 1,576,691 page views from 914,466 visits by 166,205 visitors plus an additional 890,571 views via feed readers.  So a total just short of two and half million page views…

If you were not one of the 64,816 visitors viewing 352,619 pages over the last seven days, here are the seven most popular stories (in order of popularity) that you missed:

• Scum-gate
• The Bunker Draws the Battle Lines
• Osborne on Sky : What About Lord Paul?
• Maguire Sinks to New Low
• No Danny, No.
• Purnell Standing Down at General Election
• Guy News : Death Tax, Pancakes and Tears

If you were not one of the 67,148 visitors viewing 360,088 pages over the last seven days, here are the seven most popular stories (in order of popularity) that you missed:

• Sunday Sleaze
• Bad Al Campbell: Class Act or On the Edge?
• School Children Exposed to Balls
• Guess Who is First Up for PMQs?
• How the New IPSA Quango Costs £6 Million
• Pigs Might Fly
• Gordon’s Bananas

Guido is speaking at a Westminster Skeptics event tonight on whether political blogging actually makes – or will make – any difference to the course of UK political events. Guido’s view is that the question has already been answered.

This graphic from ConservativeHome’s survey of Tory PPCs illustrates where influence lies nowadays.  The next Prime Minister and Chancellor of Britain are avid readers of blogs. Does that signify influence, does that make a difference?

On the panel with Guido are ConservativeHome’s Jonathan Isaby, Comrade Hundal from Liberal Conspiracy and Mick Fealty from Slugger. The event will take place at The Old Monk Exchange pub just 100 yards away from St James Station.

Head charge of £2.  The panel discussion starts at 7.30pm. (Facebook event page is here.)

If you were not one of the 57,385 visitors viewing 381,867 pages over the last seven days, here are the seven most popular stories (in order of popularity) that you missed:

• Labour Will Have a Khrushchev Moment of Truth in the End
• Jim Devine Explains Everything
• Tim Yeo’s Green Networking in Parliament Pays Off
• Another Day, Another Fluffed Tory Announcement
• The Defendants
• Brown Under Pressure for Misleading House, Again
• Kirsty Makes NewsnightMore Exciting

You are either in front of Guido, or you’re behind…

When Guido reads articles about how powerful and influential this blog is he laughs because it was set up on a whim and primarily for his own amusement. The insight that perhaps makes this blog successful was that political gossip and tittle-tattle is far more compelling than people will admit.   Now bearing in mind that the readership of this blog is heavily concentrated in the media, parliament, political parties, the law and the City, which story do you think was most popular yesterday?

The critical analysis of the political paralysis surrounding the fiscal situation? The report back from the Shadow Chancellor’s benchmark launch? The highlighting of the hypocrisy of a senior political journalist?

No of course not. Kirsty Wark’s Prada skirt wardrobe malfunction topped the lot and was easily the most popular story yesterday, followed up by the Telegraph and the Mail this morning.  Which is why this is the blog you love and they hate. Happy 55th Birthday Kirsty!

If you were not one of the 54,449 visitors viewing 333,411 pages over the last seven days, here are the seven most popular stories (in order of popularity) that you missed:

• Sunday Sleaze
• Reid on Football, Debts and Presbyterians
• No Deal Despite Gordon Ducking PMQs
• UK Preliminary 4Q GDP Anaemic +0.1%, -3.2% On Year
• Gordon’s Million Pound Face Saver Backfires
• Crowd Sourced Gossip : We Are All Watching Them Now
• GMTV (Guido Morning TV) : Who Got It Wrong?

You are either in front of Guido, or you’re behind…