Jones takes top politician award

Mr Jones beat previous winner Peter Hain and First Minister Rhodri Morgan to the title after leading Plaid into government for the first time.

He said he was "extremely grateful" for the award which he described as an "honour" for his entire party.

Labour AM Alun Davies was named Newcomer of the Year by the judges.

Mr Jones became deputy first minister in July after agreeing an historic Labour-Plaid coalition Welsh Assembly Government.

On receiving the award he said 2007 would be remembered as a "landmark year" for the party. One which brought "significant electoral gains" and "difficult decisions".

AM.PM AWARDS 2007

• Politician of the Year: Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, Plaid Cymru leader and deputy first minister
• Newcomer of the Year: Alun Davies, Mid and West Wales AM (Labour)
• Communicator of the Year: Adam Price, Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP (Plaid Cymru)
• Campaigner of the Year: Chris Bryant, Rhondda MP (Labour) and Leighton Andrews, Rhondda AM (Labour)
• Most Outspoken: Don Touhig, Islwyn MP (Labour)

He added: "I have no doubt whatsoever that this decision by the party has, and will continue to change the political landscape in Wales for the better and make a real difference to the lives of the people of our nation."

Mr Davies has one of the highest profiles of the new crop of AMs and is developing a reputation for not pulling his punches in the assembly chamber.

Despite being an AM for little over six months, he already has a role mapping the way ahead for Welsh devolution.

The Mid and West Wales Labour AM is one of 12 AMs and MPs on the All-Wales Convention steering group.

The group will set the framework, timetable, and terms of reference for the convention established to prepare for a referendum on creating a full law-making parliament for Wales.

He said he would "look forward to continuing the work to make Mid and West Wales a better, safer and greener place to live".

Labour AM Leighton Andrews shares the Campaigner of the Year award with the party's MP Chris Bryant.

The two politicians fought a high-profile campaign to save 300 jobs at the Burberry clothing factory in their Rhondda constituency.

'Sat-nav'

On winning the award Mr Andrews said: "It is a campaign we would rather not have had to run - but I am pleased that it resulted in better redundancy terms for the workforce and the establishment of a long-term community fund for the Rhondda."

Mr Bryant said that the campaign had demonstrated that big international companies "can't have everything their own way when ordinary people campaign for something".

"The whole of the Rhondda and Wales was united behind this campaign and I only wish we had been able to keep Burberry," he said.

Plaid MP Adam Price was named Communicator of the Year for his use of the media to promote his message.

Last month Mr Price won the British Computer Society's best MP website award.

Islwyn MP Don Touhig was named Most Outspoken politician.

Mr Touhig uttered one of Welsh politics' most memorable quotes this year.

He said there were plenty of potential candidates to chair the All-Wales Convention, other than the man appointed, Sir Emyr Jones Parry, "who wouldn't need a sat-nav to find Wales."