House of stars

The Spectator’s Parliamentarian of the Year awards were held at the Savoy Hotel on Wednesday. Here are the winners:

Newcomer of the year

Andrea Leadsom (Con). For her work grilling bankers on the Treasury select committee and setting up the Fresh Start Group.

Backbencher of the year

Alistair Darling (Lab). His campaign for the Union has made Westminster more relevant in Scotland than at any time since -devolution.

Campaigner of the year

Andy Burnham (Lab). Our former ‘Minister to Watch’ did more than any other MP to press for the Hillsborough report, which gave parliament one of its most extraordinary moments.

Inquisitor of the year

Margaret Hodge (Lab). Her public accounts committee inspires as much fear in permanent secretaries as it does in tax-avoiding chief executives.

Speech of the year

Charles Walker (Con) and Kevan Jones (Lab). Their extraordinary speeches in June, discussing their struggles with mental health problems, helped break a taboo and change the law.

Non-resignation of the year

Lord Hill (Con). He turned up at No. 10 during the September reshuffle and reportedly found the Prime Minister too distracted to -realise his visitor was quitting; instead he was told to carry on the good work. One of the unsung heroes of education reform — his award is for giving up on giving up.

Apology of the year

Nick Clegg (Lib Dem). His apology on tuition fees — for ever making, not breaking, a pledge to oppose them — went around the world after being made into a pop song. His award was collected by the computer whizzes who made his words sing: Alex Ross and James Herring.

Resurrection of the year

Sir George Young (Con). He lasted 45 days on the back benches before he was summoned back as Chief Whip. As Tory leaders since Ted Heath have discovered, Sir George is indispensible.

Minister to watch

Liz Truss (Con). In two months as an education minister, she has become known as the ‘human hand grenade’ —  thrown into a department to remove bureaucratic blockages.