Politicians in spotlight for awards

So today, as it's nearly New Year and all the councils are basically shut down, allow me to present my own West Midland Politician of The Year Awards. There are absolutely no prizes for this because I'm far too much of an old skinflint.

The 'ones to watch' award – This one's getting shared between neighbours, Wolverhampton North East Labour MP Emma Reynolds and South Staffordshire Tory Gavin Williamson. Miss Reynolds has been put on Ed Miliband's front bench this year as his shadow housing minister. And don't we just know about it. She's everywhere at the moment talking about the housing shortage, to the point where you'd almost think she'd been working in the construction industry for years.

Meanwhile Mr Williamson's dedicated service as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin got him noticed. He was switched to perform the role for the Prime Minister earlier this year.

While Mr Williamson's role is behind the scenes he's clearly proving himself a useful ally in high places.

The thorn in the side award – UKIP has had a good year in terms of raising its profile and a lot of people are expecting it to do well in 2014's European elections. But it's also lost its only current West Midlands MEP in the form of Mike Nattrass, who quit the party after being de-selected. He tried to get a court to overturn the party selection process and failed. So he's set his own party up.

His former UKIP colleague, Nikki Sinclaire, also left UKIP a few years ago and has established her own Eurosceptic party, called We Demand A Referendum. Eurosceptics now have a choice of at least three parties to go for. Could we really see the UKIP vote split? At least they'd know how the Tories feel.

Favourite political gaffe – It has to go to Labour's Tom Watson. A few weeks ago the campaigning West Bromwich MP did a fantastic job highlighting concerns over fixed odds betting terminals. Then a vote was taken on whether or not to leave the high stakes bookies can offer on them as they are. Mr Watson accidentally voted with the government and against his own campaign. Fortunately the campaigners had lost by dozens of votes so it didn't make a difference.

Best politician on Twitter award – Since his escape from the Tory whips' office in September 2012, Lichfield Tory Michael Fabricant has taken Twitter by storm. His humorous tweets saw him invited on Have I Got News For You.

We were also treated to a lengthy series of posts about his ill-fated summer holiday to Montenegro, detailing problems with EU immigration, police demanding bribes and his medical woes from a burst blood vessel in the eye. Then towards the end of the year he revealed how he was going to wear a big false moustache at Prime Minister's Questions for Movember – something he actually managed to carry off without collapsing in hysterics.

Unlike other politicians he also likes to play fast and loose with his profile picture, choosing people and animals who resemble him with his trademark shock of blonde hair.

So far we've had the actor Matt Damon and a long haired cow dubbed 'the Fabrimoo', which happens to be a personal favourite. If you tweet him a compliment he'll re-tweet it to his followers and say 'twank'. Make of that what you will.