Peter York, the ageing Sloane Ranger and style guru, ditched his popped collar and brogues this morning and took to the stage in a Gaddafi-style dictator’s outfit to present the Editorial Intelligence Commentariat the Year Awards. A wistful David Davis proclaimed that he would have ‘loved to be able get away with wearing that’.
The metropolitan liberal elite gathered at 7.30am to heap praise upon itself and toast departed friends like Marie Colvin and Christopher Hitchens. Luckily, there was champagne, tiny bacon sandwiches and poached quails eggs to ease the horrendously early start.
Winners included sketch writer Ann Treneman, Conservative Home’s Tim Montgomerie and a near clean sweep for the Times’ comment pages, and there was praise all round for their editor, Anne Spackman. Tom Watson was a no-show for his political tweeter of the year award. And Laurie Penny sent a mere emissary to accept her prize; Mr Steerpike heard audible sighs of relief from spectators when it became clear that the Red Devil was not going to ruin the event in person.
Nine year old Martha Payne, who shot to global fame by blogging about her terrible school lunches, was pipped at the post by Mic Wright in the independent blogger category. The twenty-something Irishman sent his mum to collect his prize, as young Martha and her dad looked on. And Mr Steerpike was particularly pleased to see the Spectator’s Coffee House win the online comment award.
Mentioned in dispatches are Janet Street Porter, for managing to turn the air blue so early in the day, and AA Gill, for admitting that he was unsure of what his award was for ‘beside being a bit of a twat’.
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