Who says the BBC and New Labour are too close?
The Spectator magazine's Parliamentarian of the Year awards provided the perfect opportunity for old friends to catch up yesterday.
BBC newsreader Emily Maitlis plonked herself down beside Lord Mandelson after the black-tie dinner at the Royal Hospital in west London.
The 40-year-old mother-of-two looked chic in her sleeveless black cocktail dress as she leaned in close to the controversial peer.
The incident provided perfect ammunition for those Tories who like to say the BBC is full of 'lefties' forever cosying up to the Labour Party.
Old friends? BBC newsreader Emily Maitlis and Lord Mandelson share a private joke at the Spectator luncheon yesterday
Pull the other one: Is it the camera angle or did Ms Maitlis adjust the Labour peer's squinty bow tie?
Lord Mandelson and George Osborne also let bygones be bygones as they happily posed for pictures.
The pair famously fell out after the Chancellor accused Mandy of 'dripping pure poison' about Gordon Brown during a holiday lunch on the Greek island of Corfu in 2008.
It was a busy dinner for the man credited with helping form 'New Labour' - he was later seen chatting to Tony Blair's former gatekeeper, Anji Hunter.
The exchange looked to be slightly strained - until they noticed the photographer. After that, it was all smiles.
Glamour girls: Maitlis with fellow newsreader Andrea Catherwood and the Spectator's head of communications, Phoebe Vela
Strained: Tony Blair's former gatekeeper Anji Hunter takes Lord Mandelson to task
All smiles: The New Labour stalwarts suddenly realise they are on camera
And he was spotted commiserating with BBC political hack John Sopel, who is recovering from a broken hip sustained when he crashed his scooter.
Political enemies were also brought together - shadow home secretary Ed Balls was pictured with Tory moneyman Lord Ashcroft and Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith.
Mr Balls was there with his wife, shadow foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, to collect his prize as Parliamentarian of the Year.
The other award winners were Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, who was named Newcomer of the year.
Commiserations: BBC political journo Jon Sopel, who broke his hip when he crashed his scooter, with Lord Mandelson. Right, weather forecaster Sian Lloyd with Nancy Dell'Olio. At least Ms Lloyd didn't have to worry about bumping into her ex, Lembit Opik, who is stuck in the jungle on I'm A Celebrity
All friends again: Lord Mandelson sought out Chancellor George Osborne after the lunch. The pair famously fell out in 2008 when Osborne claimed Mandelson 'poured poison' on Gordon Brown
Best of enemies: Tory peer Lord Ashcroft puts his arm around shadow home secretary Ed Balls with a smiling Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith alongside
Labour MP Tom Watson took Inquisitor of the year for his work on the News of the World phone hacking scandal.
Lord Young of Graffham was Peer of the year, while the Prime Minister swept to victory (again) in the speech category for his 'big comprehensive offer to the Lib Dems' after the election and the apology for Bloody Sunday.
Treasury chums George Osborne and his Chief Secretary Danny Alexander - resplendent in a kilt - were shoo-in for Double Act of the year. Likewise Ed Miliband for Campaign of the year - for the Labour leadeship, not the doomed manifesto he authored before the election.
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander together with Nick Clegg's deputy director of communications, Lena Pietsch. Right, the Deputy Prime Minister with his wife Miriam González Durántez
Prize-giving: The Prime Minister David Cameron hands over the Parliamentarian of the year award to shadow home secretary Ed Balls with Spectator editor Fraser Nelson
Fellow Labour stalwart Gisela Stuart was named Survivor of the year after she managed to hang on to her Birmingham Edgbaston seat with a majority of just 1,274 votes.
Fresh from succeeding Sir Michael Spicer as chairman of the powerful 1922 Committee, Tory MP Graham Brady was voted Backbencher of the year.
The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was Politician of the year after leading his Lib Dem MPs into a historic coalition with the Tories.
And Margaret Thatcher won a special prize as Statesman of the era, 20 years after she stepped down as prime minister.
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