The Spectator’s 31st Parliamentarian of the Year awards took place at the Rosewood Hotel this evening. Here are the winners. The awards were presented by Michael Gove, who stepped in for the Prime Minister at the last minute as she dealt with an issue within her Cabinet.
This year's Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year awards, sponsored by Benenden, saw Theresa May reunited with her former Cabinet colleague George Osborne -- and Boris Johnson declare that Brexit will be a Titanic success.
I am honoured to be invited to present these awards. Thank you very much for taking me out of my unemployment. When I read the Spectator front cover on the eve of the referendum, I thought it was advice on how to vote: ‘Out - and into the world’. But it turned out to be career advice to me. And of course, normally these annual awards are presented by last year’s winner of ‘Politician of the year’, David Cameron. And it’s another example of where he’s disappeared and left me holding the baby. I wanted to support the Spectator magazine - a brilliant weekly compendium on the arts, on politics, on society. Yours for only £4.25 - or $4 because of the policies of the Spectator.
This morning, many politicians will be waking up with a sore head following a well-hydrated night at the Spectator's Parliamentarian of the Year awards. While the event proved to be a rather lively affair thanks to some choice words from both Theresa May and George Osborne, it's Boris Johnson who may be wishing he could give his speech a second try. On accepting the award for comeback of the year -- and speaking of his hope to last longer than Michael Heseltine's Alsatian did -- the Foreign secretary spoke of his vision for Brexit Britain. Unfortunately his turn of phrasing failed to inspire many in the audience as he promised to make a 'Titanic success' of Brexit: 'Brexit means Brexit and we are going to make a Titanic... Titanic success of it.
Oh come on, we’re all builders now. Thank you very much indeed and it’s a great pleasure to receive this award. I am particularly pleased to receive the award from George, because I gather when it came to the voting it actually got very tight and I owe it to George - he just nudged me over the line because he told all the other members of the jury that if they didn’t vote for me, the economy would collapse and world war three would start. I feel I just have to make a comment or an intervention on a previous speech: Boris, the dog was put down, when it’s master decided it wasn’t needed any more. I have to say... the new job is very interesting, there's a lot to do but I am discovering some side effects of it.
Thank you very much. You are perfectly right, I had prepared two speeches. As some of you may know, I do like to have two versions for these occasions. Thank you very much, George, thank you very much Fraser. What an extraordinary few months it has certainly been and there have been times where I have had to admit that, like the loyal and faithful hound, Kim, to whom George has already alluded, like him, like the faithful alsatian belonging to Michael Heseltine, there have been moments since June 23rd where I have genuinely feared. In those very grim days after June 23rd, I genuinely feared that I might be strangled by a crazed, pop-eyed Europhile 'Remainer'.
After a year of surprises across the board from the Tory majority to Labour's new leader, Westminster's rebels and insurgents descended on the Savoy Hotel to celebrate The Spectator's Parliamentarian of the Year awards. With the awards presented by Alex Salmond — last year's winner of Politician of the Year, the former First Minister of Scotland made sure to put Scottish independence firmly on the menu, namechecking his country's struggle several times in his speech. With Jeremy Corbyn unable to be there in person to collect his gong for Campaigner of the Year, it fell on his fellow comrade Diane Abbott to do the honours. The Labour frontbencher found time in her tribute to warn audience members not to underestimate the size of Jeremy Corbyn's mandate.
William Hague told the Spectator's Parliamentarian of the Year awards last week that he was standing down from the Commons ‘to do some other things I’ve always wanted to do'. So far that seems to consist of expensive after dinner speeches. Accepting his lifetime achievement award at the Savoy, the one time Tory leader finally revealed the secret to how he used to get the better of Tony Blair every week at PMQs. Hague recalled how Tony had two big folders 'that went from Aardvark at top of the first folder, to Zoology at the bottom of the second, so he could find anything to show how terrible 18 years of Tory government were.' But Blair’s plan was flawed: 'Then we realised the one weakness of this all: it was in alphabetical order.
Tory MP Penny Mourdant has caused a stir in Sunday's papers over her confession at our Parliamentarian of the Year awards that she said 'cock' in Parliament as a bet with her colleagues in the Royal Navy, where she serves as a reservist. As winner of our Speech of the Year award, Mourdant clearly has a way with words. Here are her top five gags (so far): 1. Caring for your kit in the field One of the highlights of her award-winning Loyal Speech earlier this year was a gag about her Royal Navy training: 'I have benefited from some excellent training by the Royal Navy but on one occasion I felt it was not as bespoke as it might have been.
The great, the good and not so good of the establishment turned up at the Savoy Hotel today for this year's Parliamentarian of the Year awards. The awards were presented by the Home Secretary Theresa May: [caption id="attachment_9386402" align="aligncenter" width="4413"] Sir Robert Rogers greets Home Secretary Theresa May. Photo: Alan Davidson.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_9386382" align="aligncenter" width="3064"] Former Foreign Secretary William Hague. Photo: Alan Davidson.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_9386372" align="aligncenter" width="3244"] Former First Minister Alex Salmond becomes emotional with St Georges flag. Photo: Alan Davidson.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_9386452" align="aligncenter" width="2820"] Minister of the year Steve Webb. Photo: Alan Davidson.
The Spectator's 27th Parliamentarian of the Year awards, sponsored by Mastercard, took place at the Savoy Hotel this afternoon. Here are the winners - and a few extracts from my speech. The awards were presented by Theresa May, and here was my spiel 1. Backbencher of the Year: Sarah Wollaston She plotted a career way that redefines what it means to be an MP. She had never attended a political meeting before being selected for her party, in an open primary where any constituent could vote. Her election to the chair of the Health Select Committee this year underlines her status as an MP who is respected by her peers as much as she is cursed by whips and spin doctors.
If ever there was a tell-tale sign of who won the Great War between the Speaker and the Clerk of the Commons, it was today's Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year awards. Sir Robert Rogers picked up the top prize, declaring: 'Common sense and good governance will prevail before very long'. Mr Speaker failed to show up. The guest of honour, Home Secretary Theresa May, delivered her own comedy turn making jokes about George Osborne's haircut. She had a point. Her barbed comment that her 'special advisers had told her' this would be a 'good idea' had a particular resonance given her starring role on the cover of this quarter's edition of Spectator Life; a profile that features her advisers heavily. Wasting no time, May attacked both of her obvious future rivals for the Tory crown.
We've now finished the Spectator's Parliamentarian of the Year awards, and have moved up to the bar. There were two big surprises this afternoon. The first was the quality of Theresa May's jokes (below).
Oh dear. On Wednesday night, we at The Spectator saw David Cameron handing Lord Young his Spectator/Threadneedle Parliamentarian of the Year in the category of Peer of the Year. “Over the decades,” said yours truly, “Prime Ministers have come to value his advice. As Thatcher put it: ‘other people bring me problems, David brings me solutions.'” Not any more - David has brought him a problem, followed by a resignation. Less than 48 hours after picking-up our award, his political career appears to be at an end. It is true that there are some people who have had a “good recession”. That is: faced no danger of losing their job and saw the cost of their mortgage collapse as part of the monetary stimulus.
David Cameron was on sparkling form last night, at our Parliamentarian of the Year awards. He joked about his photographer - saying he didn’t arrive for dinner because he saw fish was on the menu and didn’t want to pay for his own snapper. His remarks about the magazine were thoughtful, and well-researched. But what did he mean by the below? It certainly had the guests talking afterwards: some regarded it as the verbal equivalent of a horse’s head thrown into the bed of the Mayor of London. Me: I offer no opinion. But this is what he had to say: “I think the great thing about the Spectator is your extraordinary heritage, the remarkable figures who’ve sat in the editor’s chair.
The Spectator held its annual Parliamentarian of the Year Awards ceremony this evening.
Just to point CoffeeHousers in the direction of a trio of delights across the site. First up, is Lloyd Evans’ review of a talk by Kevin Spacey that the Spectator hosted last week, which you can read over at the Spectator Arts Blog. And we also have a web exclusive review, by Lloyd again, of a Spectator debate on faith schools, here. Then there’s our vote for The Greatest Parliamentarian of the Last 25 Years. There are only a few days left to nominate your choice for the award, which you can do so here. The most persuasive nomination that we receive will win its author a pair of tickets to The Spectator’s Parliamentarian Awards dinner on 17 November.
It is 25 years since The Spectator first began to recognise our better politicians with the annual Parliamentarian of the Year Awards. The inaugural winner of our main prize, the Parliamentarian of the Year award itself, was David Owen. Since then, the roll call of victors has grown to include John Smith, Nigel Lawson, Robin Cook, William Hague, John Major, Tony Blair and even, we must admit, Gordon Brown. The choices made by our judging panel of Westminster cognoscenti may not please all of the people, all of the time — but they are a reliable catalogue of the dominant players in modern British politics. But the Spectator's judges won't be only people to get their say.
The Spectator/Threadneedle Parliamentarian of the Year Awards are fast approaching. As we did last year, we are inviting you to nominate a reader’s representative. This should be the elected official who you believe has best pursued the noble art of politics, putting the public interest ahead of everything else, especially expenses. All you have to do is click here and – in no more than 250 words – nominate your choice. We’ll print a selection of the best nominations in the magazine throughout October. Then, on the 28th October, the reader who has submitted the best-written nomination will be revealed. The closing date for entries is Monday 26th October 2009. Good luck.