The chancellor Gordon Brown has won a top award at a Westminster parliamentary awards ceremony.

For the second year running, the chancellor took the "House award" at the annual Channel 4/House Magazine Awards.

Accepting the award Brown took a sideswipe at former Northern Ireland secretary Peter Mandelson. Reflecting on the last few weeks he said: "It has been said over the last few days, a week, indeed a fortnight of great drama, when our mind has been trying to focus people onto policies and of course the country's mind has been wholly on personalities - on who's in and who's out, on the drama of ambition and the drama of loss of jobs and people with talent and potential who feel that they've lost out - but I don't want to say anymore about Popstars."

The awards, again sponsored by the House Magazine and voted for by politicians in Westminster, Holyrood, and the Northern Ireland Assembly, were attended by the present and past speakers Michael Martin and Baroness Betty Boothroyd.

Gwyneth Dunwoody's work in keeping the pressure on the rail industry following the Hatfield crash was recognised with her winning Parliamentary Performer of the Year.

Conservative chairman of the Public Accounts Committee David Davis was voted opposition MP on the year, beating off competition from Lib Dems Norman Baker and Simon Hughes plus fellow Conservative John Bercow.

Baroness Young, the controversial Tory peer, was voted Peer of the Year for her leadership in defending clause 28 and fighting the lowering of the age of consent of gay sex.

For the first time members of the Scottish parliament and the Northern Ireland and Welsh Assemblies took part in voting. Jack McConnell was named as Scottish Politician and Welsh Politician went to Jocelyn Davies who proudly boasted the achievements of Cardiff to dispel the myth that the institution was boring. Northern Ireland Politician was named as Sir Reg Empey.

The Politician of the Year Award, decided by the viewers of Channel 4 News, again went to Mo Mowlam and Book of the Year, voted by a ballot at Politico's bookshop in Westminster, went to "Servants of the People" by Andrew Rawnsley.

Rory Bremner's cutting portrayal of life in the Blair government garnered him the award of Political Humorist and the BBC's Andrew Marr was named as Journalist of the Year Award.Highlights from the Channel 4 House Awards can be seen at 8.05pm on Saturday night on Channel 4.

Linda McDougall, executive producer of the awards, said: "It's the only occasion in the parliamentary year when politicians forget their party allegiances and vote for their colleagues on the grounds of ability and talent. Politicians are keen to record their appreciation of colleagues who take a brave stand on any topic, irrespective of whether they agree with their views."