Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year 2022, in pictures

What a year in politics it has been. 2022 has seen five Education Secretaries, four Chancellors, three Prime Ministers but there is only one Spectator and so it was no surprise to see some of Westminster’s most familiar faces descend on London’s Rosewood Hotel. Ministers and their opposite numbers tonight enjoyed the chance to break bread and toast each other.

Master of Ceremonies for the evening was Robert Buckland, the man who switched from backing Rishi Sunak to Liz Truss in the first leadership race of the year but then ended up being sacked when the former succeeded the latter in October. He quipped: ‘Last year I was referred to as “the recently defenestrated Robert Buckland”. This year I ask my friends in the press to refer to me as “the recently defenestrated Sir Robert Buckland.”‘

There were a dozen honours up for grabs, with Jeremy Hunt collecting the first of the evening. Hunt, the survivor of the year, joked: ‘These days it’s not much of an honour to be Chancellor because everyone gets a go.’ Kemi Badenoch won minister to watch and reflected on her resignation from the Johnson government ‘it really was like Avengers Assemble with Sajid as Captain America to take down Thanos.’ Rishi Sunak collected ‘Comeback of the Year’ and told the crowd ‘I must dedicate this award to my friends, my family and of course – the UK bond markets.’

But of course the headline winner tonight was President Zelenskyy, who won Parliamentarian of the Year. The award was collected by Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain, Vadym Prystaiko, who made a heartfelt speech, praising the UK for its co-operation.

A full list of winners is below:

Survivor of the Year – Jeremy Hunt