Once again, it’s been another eventful year in Westminster, with 14 Cabinet resignations, a seemingly endless negotiation process with the EU, and more than one attempted coup. After making it through mostly unscathed, politicians headed en masse this evening to the Spectator’s Parliamentarian of the year awards, to celebrate their achievements – or lack thereof.
Liz Truss, the Spectator’s host for the evening, had some of the best gags of the evening, saying:
‘Now I know that my jokes haven’t always gone down well with some of my colleagues and friends. So I decided that I was going to do it right this time and I was going to consult them. I asked Michael Gove to send me a joke, but he’s still not taken my calls. The DUP sent me a joke but unfortunately they charged me £1 billion for it. Jacob Rees-Mogg promised me five jokes, but he only sent three through. And finally I asked the chancellor for a joke… just kidding I didn’t ’
Listen to the full speech here:
Every Westminster faction you could imagine made it to the event. Remainer supremos Andrew Adonis and Sarah Wollaston held the torch for the ‘People’s vote’. Two out of three Brexit secretaries were spotted chatting by Mr S – no doubt swapping notes. And while alarm bells may have gone off in Number 10 when 48 Tory MPs congregated at the bar, other members of the Cabinet such as Penny Mordaunt certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Here are the acceptance speeches of the award winners:
Maria Miller – Backbencher of the Year
David Lammy – Campaigner of the Year
Margaret Hodge – Speech of the Year
Douglas Hogg – Peer of the Year
Yvette Cooper – Inquisitor of the Year
Emily Thornberry – Comeback of the Year
Tracey Crouch – Ministerial Resignation of the Year
David Davis and Dominic Raab – Cabinet Resignations of the Year
Geoffrey Cox – Minister of the Year
John McDonnell – Politician of the Year
Frank Field – Parliamentarian of the Year
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