THE world of Westminster in 2023 was rocked by more drama than a Christmas Day episode of EastEnders.
SCENE OF THE YEAR: Penny Mordaunt steals the show at the Coronation
Up and down the country we gathered around our TVs on May 6 to watch the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. But the breakout star was minister Penny Mordaunt, who heroically carried the 8lb Sword of State perfectly upright for much of the ceremony. Wearing an eye-catching teal and gold cape dress, she became an instant meme. Some compared her look to the Poundland logo. Her appearance and starring role sent Penny’s stock soaring.
SHOCK EXIT OF THE YEAR: Boris Johnson quits as MP
He is the political giant who "got Brexit done" and earned the Tories a gravity-defying landslide victory in 2019. But in June, Boris Johnson quit as a Tory MP, accusing MPs of using the Partygate probe to "drive me out of Parliament". Is it the last we have seen of the blond bombshell? Rumours of a Johnson comeback continue to circulate…
PLOT TWIST OF THE YEAR: Nicola Sturgeon's downfall
For nearly a decade SNP supremo Nicola Sturgeon dominated Scottish politics. That all came crashing down on April 5 when cops probing the apparent disappearance of party funds raided the home she shares with hubby and fellow SNP grandee Peter Murrell. Scotland’s most powerful couple have been quizzed by officers and a £110,000 motorhome was seized. Investigations continue.
BUST-UP OF THE YEAR: Suella Braverman vs Rishi Sunak
PM Rishi Sunak sacked Suella Braverman as his Home Secretary in November. But hell has no fury like a Cabinet minister scorned, and she has made it her mission to stick the knife into her former boss ever since. Suella accused Rishi of "betraying" the nation by failing to stop the small boats. Some allies vowed to launch a "grid of s**t" to attack the PM. Expect hostilities to start up again in 2024.
COMEBACK OF THE YEAR: David Cameron returns
David Cameron’s political return as Foreign Secretary was one of the most closely guarded secrets in government. Tories were split in their reaction — some salivating, others fearing it was the final nail in the Boris/Brexit era. One Westminster watcher declared: "It was the most shocking return since Dirty Den came back from the dead."
VILLAIN OF THE YEAR: Sadiq Khan's car charge debacle
Labour London Mayor Sadiq Khan clobbered drivers by extending the hated Ulez car charge — just as the country suffered in the cost-of-living crisis. The result? Motorists mutinied. Sadiq’s ratings plummeted. And the Tories defied the odds to win the Uxbridge by-election because of the backlash.
VILLAIN OF THE YEAR, RUNNER-UP: Ed Miliband's eco measures
Ed Miliband’s support for barmy eco measures continued to dog Labour. His flagship plan to splurge an eye-watering £28billion a year on green projects was watered down after an outcry but has yet to be properly binned. Could this cost Labour at the election?
POLITICAL BREAK-UP OF THE YEAR: Robert Jenrick leaves the Cabinet
Robert Jenrick had been one of Rishi Sunak’s best friends in politics. So Westminster was stunned when he quit the Cabinet earlier this month, warning the Rwanda deportation plan was flawed. Robert did what any of us do when we go through a tricky break-up — lost some weight and posted holiday pics on Instagram.
FAIL OF THE YEAR: Glitter-bombing Sir Keir Starmer goes wrong
When eco yob Yaz Ashmawi stormed the Labour Party conference to glitter-bomb Sir Keir Starmer, he was hoping to take the shine off the wannabe PM. But the stunt backfired as it turns out that showering a leader with silver sparkles makes them look quite cool.
FUTURE PLOT TWIST?: Nigel Farage's I'm A Celeb appearance
The world of politics is often compared to a nest of venomous snakes. So it is no surprise Nigel Farage leapt at the chance to head Down Under for a fat fee to face poisonous creepy crawlies on TV’s I’m A Celeb. Tongues are wagging that he will use the show to launch himself back into the front line of politics.
PHOTO GAFFE OF THE YEAR: Suella Braverman's unfortunate moment
I thought Rishi Sunak was a shoo-in when a video of him using the side of a hammer to bash in a peg went viral. But a longer clip revealed he had been told to use the tool this way. So the winner is no-nonsense then-Home Sec Suella Braverman, who was pictured standing on the tail of a guide dog.
MOST CUTTING JIBE OF THE YEAR: Angela Rayner's split from Sam Tarry
Labour lovebirds Angela Rayner and Sam Tarry split up last month. A pal of Angie’s said of her heartbreak: "Sometimes people turn out not to be who you thought they were."
QUOTES OF THE YEAR:
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan in a hot mic moment in the middle of the dodgy-concrete-in-schools scandal: "Does anyone ever say, ‘You know what, you’ve done a f***ing good job, because everyone else has sat on their a**e and done nothing?’ "
Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer on Labour’s Keir Mather becoming the youngest MP at 25 years old in the Selby by-election in July: "I think we mustn’t become a repeat of The Inbetweeners."
Keir Mather’s mum Jill Tambarros hitting back at Mercer for having a go at her son: "He’s done other things, like working in a cafe, working on the street selling paella, chopping up meat in a butcher’s van."
Home Secretary James Cleverly was accused of calling Stockton North "a s**thole" during a particularly rowdy Prime Minister’s Questions. James countered that he was actually calling Stockton’s Labour member Alex Cunningham a "s**t MP".
