The Stodgies

It's that time of the year when the last dregs of humanity gather for the "Stodgies", the final and least significant awards. The crowd is getting ugly so let's get on with the prize giving:

Word of the Year: well, two words in fact. "Fiscal Cliff" is the clear winner. As the awards are being handed out, the discussions are continuing and America might yet jump but I strongly suspect they won't though what we may get is the can being kicked down the road yet again.

Inaccurate Prediction of the Year:  Some on political betting liken it to the Stockholm Syndrome but the Greeks are still part of the Eurozone. The Eurozone is still intact and th Europhobes who were relishing in its demise are a frustrated bunch tonight.

Pundit of the Year: Not a vintage year to be honest but I liked the observations of Simon Jenkins on the Olympics so he gets the nod.

International Numpty of the Year: As always, a crowded category.  Glenn Beck won this before and his particularly sour response to Barack Obama's re-election put him right in the firing line. The defeated Republican candidate's odious running-mate, Paul Ryan, also got on the short list but he lost the election so that will do for him. The clear winner is the deeply unpleasant Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad who shares his father's taste in mass murder. Hopefully, 2013 will see him pass into history whether through xile or ideally a visit to the International Criminal Court.

British Numpty of the Year:  Again, no shortage of contenders. A couple of the contributors on political betting would be close contenders but they are anonymous and I wish their opinions were too.
The clear winner however is London Mayor Boris Johnson, who tried to take personal credit for the Olympics yet has done little of nothing for the capital apart from milk hard-pressed commuters with fre rises while generally acting like a self-important buffoon.

International Man of the Year:  Again, a packed field with a number of possibles. The Dalai Lama is overdue a mention but it's to America I go and while Barack Obama nearly got the award for his moving speeches after the horrific shootings in Connecticut just before Christmas, the winner is a former Democrat President in the shape of William Jefferson Clinton. Clinton's speech to the Democratic Nationsl Convention was a brilliant demolition of Republican policies and he remains for me the foremost political orator of our times.

Person of the Year: The big one and, as always, the top three in reverse order:

3. Nick Clegg: A former winner. It's been another tough year for the Deputy Prime Minister but he has grown in confidence and stature both in that role and as Party Leader. However the next election turns out, the party has learnt so much from the Coalition Experience and that is and will be invaluable.

2. The Queen: I'm no Monarchist but Her Majesty upholds values of duty and service which are commendable. She comports herself with unfailing dignity and grace and while I would like to see her pass the throne to Charles now, her sense of service precludes that. She will hopefully be a great-grandmother in a few months and what wisdom she will have to pass to the fortunate child.

1 . Sebastian Coe: Although thousands made the Olympics a success, Sebastian Coe stands at the forefront. A tireless worker and supporter, he made the whole thing possible. In another life, he might have become Mayor of London but London owes him a greater debt now and for me Sebastian Coe is a deserved Person of the Year.