Boris Johnson was crowned the Idiot of the Year and dubbed the “most irresponsible politician the country has seen for many years” at The Economist’s alternative awards last night.

The former London Mayor and Foreign Secretary pipped Theresa May to the “prize idiot” gong.

Citing Brexit the judges said they felt the award should go to “one of the architects of this catastrophe”.

They added: “He failed miserably as foreign secretary. He sniped at Mrs May while in Cabinet. He has agitated against her deal from the backbenches and in his lucrative newspaper column without presenting a real alternative. A demagogue not a statesman, he is the most irresponsible politician the country has seen for many years.”

Other awards handed out on the night included the Seat-Blocker of the Year, which went to Chris “Failing” Grayling for a combination of incompetence and unpopularity.

The Failed Comeback of the Year went to the “political centre”, with David Miliband, Sir Vince Cable and David Cameron all mounting failed attempts to return to the big time.

David Davis scooped the most Deluded Politician of the Year award, beating Jacob Rees-Mogg hands down for the way he “swaggers around Parliament like a Roman general returning from conquering the Gauls” despite being a disaster of a Brexit secretary.

And the Own-Goal Scorer of the Year was scooped by leader of the Democratic Unionist Party Arlene Foster, who was credited for paving the way for a second referendum on Brexit and giving Jeremy Corbyn the keys to Downing Street, two things she has passionately campaigned against.

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