Mandy gets to dance with ‘Strictly’ judge

Peter Mandelson's dream of appearing on Strictly Come Dancing moved a step closer to reality when he danced with Arlene Phillips, one of the show's judges, at the Channel 4 Political awards on Wednesday night. Labour's new Business Secretary only returned to the cabinet in October but was given the award for Politicians' Politician.

Mandy walked on stage to Shakira's Hips Don't Lie and couldn't resist a dig at his "taverna companion", shadow chancellor George Osborne. "No one has helped me win this award more than George," he said.

The Lib Dems' economic spokesman Vince Cable, a ballroom aficionado himself, got the biggest cheer of the night when he accepted the Opposition Politician of the Year. The 65-year-old was honoured for being one of precious few politicians who saw the recession coming.
 
Other winners were Campaigning Politician of the Year Baroness Hollis and Peer of the Year Lord Adonis. Cherie Blair's notorious memoirs and the Dylan Jones book on David Cameron lost out to The Hugh Young Papers in the Book of the Year stakes.
 
Former deputy prime minister John Prescott took home the Politics in the Media prize for his TV documentary John Prescott: the class system and me. He accepted the award with his wife Pauline, who was in the middle of a rather garbled acceptance speech when her husband bellowed: "I told you to sit down, love!"
 
Mandy's touching dance with Phillips and other highlights will be broadcast on Channel 4 at 7pm on St Valentine's Day. ·