Kennedy wins top politician award
Liberal Democrat Party leader Charles Kennedy has been named top politician in the annual Parliamentarian of the Year awards.
The anti-Iraq war MP won the politician of the year prize at the awards sponsored by the Spectator magazine, whose editor is Conservative MP Boris Johnson.
Mr Johnson said of Mr Kennedy’s anti-war stance: “It is hard to deny that his initial political decision appears on the face of it to have been vindicated.”
After he received his award, Mr Kennedy said: “There is no satisfaction to be derived from having had many of our arguments borne out by events.
“We would all rather see Iraq resolved successfully.
“I hope this recognises that as Liberal Democrats we can take a principled decision, stick to our guns and win respect for it.”
Conservative MP Sir Peter Tapsell was named Parliamentarian of the Year “for his independence of judgement and diligent questioning of the government”.
Sir Peter said he was “absolutely astonished” at winning the award after 45 years of service in the Commons.
“I’m immensely honoured and touched to receive this,” he said.
Sir Peter said he believed the Iraq war was “one of the greatest failures of statemanship since the Crimean War”.
John Redwood, whose recently returned to the Tory frontbench, was named survivor of the year.
Labour MP Alan Johnson was named Minister to Watch and Labour’s Vera Baird was Backbencher of the Year.
