Judging the Threadneedle/Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year awards is far from an onerous task. There are two splendid lunches, plenty of wine, first-rate gossip and more than a little argument. The deliberations are secret, but I can perhaps share with you an unexpected debate that took place when we were deciding who to name as Politician of the Year. Boris Johnson emerged a clear and deserving winner. But en route, as we pondered our options, another candidate, nominated for serious consideration, was Gordon Brown.
There were a few objections around the table, to put it mildly, mainly along the lines that Mr Brown is a deplorable villain. It is safe to say that the PM would have struggled to command a consensus on the panel. Yet the case for him was irritatingly strong. In the summer, after all, he had been written off by everyone. Discipline in his Cabinet had collapsed so badly that leaks would arrive by text message, in real time, before the meeting was over.
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