Mandelson named 'undisputed alpha male' of Westminster
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Your support makes all the difference.Lord Mandelson was dubbed the "undisputed alpha male of the Westminster village" today after scooping one of the top accolades at a Westminster awards ceremony.
The Business Secretary, whose surprise comeback earned him the Best Newcomer prize in last year's Threadneedle/Spectator contest, was this time named Politician of the Year.
Judges said that the peer, considered by many to be the most influential man in Government, had "consolidated his already powerful position" with his handling of economic and political crises.
Another of Gordon Brown's lieutenants, Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman, was named Parliamentarian of the Year - a rare accolade for any minister let alone a Leader of the Commons.
She was praised not only for taking on and, in the judges' view, beating William Hague while standing in at Prime Minister's question time but for steering equality laws through the House.
The last Government figure to take the award was the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2002 - months before controversially securing MPs' support for the war in Iraq.
For the second year the "newcomer" award went to a familiar face in Tory former chancellor Ken Clarke, brought back to the shadow cabinet by David Cameron in January to take on Lord Mandelson.
Attacking the Prime Minister earned two politicians awards.
Tory MEP Daniel Hannan's vituperative assault on Mr Brown in the European Parliament, which became a global internet hit, was named Speech of the Year while James Purnell's dramatic call as he quit the Cabinet for the PM to "stand aside" secured him Resignation of the Year from among a larger than usual field of candidates.
Remaining in the Cabinet can also help sway the judges, it seems, with Chancellor Alistair Darling's - tipped for the axe in the last reshuffle - picking up the Survivor of the Year title.
He was praised for "keeping not just his job, but his reputation, at a time when all around him were losing theirs".
Other awards went to Joanna Lumley and the Gurkhas, Campaigners of the Year for securing settlement rights for the Nepalese ex-troops, and Tory MP Douglas Carswell, who started the open campaign that led to Michael Martin's resignation as Speaker.
Spectator editor Fraser Nelson said: "Alistair Darling has kept not just his job but his reputation at a time when all around him were losing theirs.
"Lord Mandelson has, we hate to admit, reigned supreme this year, appearing to run the entire government single-handedly.
"And, while we at The Spectator are not the most enthusiastic supporters of Harriet Harman's agenda, not even our own Rod Liddle could deny that she has powerfully advanced this agenda - not least in the form of the Equality Bill. The girl done good."
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