Gordon Brown arrived on the front bench in the Commons, laughing and joking with Tony Blair. Laughing and joking? With Tony Blair? Things must be desperate. The prime minister was about to shaft him. And so he did. Shortly after that he told us to expect a referendum on membership of   the euro within - he implied - two years of the election. The chancellor himself would prefer it some time after a giant meteor has wiped out all life on earth. At least that way he'd know the result in advance.  Step back with me two hours in time, to 1pm yesterday. I was at the Channel 4 Political Awards, to be shown at 8pm on Saturday. It'll be a funny show, so catch it if you can, though it goes out at the same time as Casualty. You might find it hard to tell the difference. ("This man's career is hanging by a thread! We need oxygen, a blood transfusion, and a heart transplant!" "But doctor, look, the Mandelson case file says 'do not resuscitate!'")   At my table was Lembit Opik, the LibDem MP who has spent the last few years telling us that the meteor could strike at any time. I asked if we wouldn't have a few weeks' warning, to send up a nuclear device up to smash the rock before it hits us. He said we might get two minutes. What a cheery companion he proved to be.  Jon Snow, the presenter, made a joke about Michael Meacher "only stopping by to pick up the rent". That got a big laugh.  Lembit Opik appeared on camera talking about Gordon Prentice, a keen opponent of fox-hunting. He, Lembit, had suggested to him that it should remain legal, but there should be a regulatory   agency called "Off-fox". Mr Prentice had replied "using the same words, but in the reverse order".  There were some queeny "whoo, whoos" from the assembled pols and hacks, but Gordon Brown looked much amused.  Stephen Pound, the Labour MP for Ealing, was briefly fooled on air by a phone call from Tony Blair - actually a member of Radio 4's Dead Ringers team. The prime minister would like to visit his constituency. "I can promise you no tomatoes," said Mr Pound, "but a few kiwi fruits and aubergines, perhaps..."  The next winner was the Observer's Andrew Rawnsley, for his book about New   Labour and their general contempt for the voters. It is said that Gordon Brown was a source for this work, but now regrets telling the author whatever it was he said.  As the oeuvre was being praised, the chancellor looked thunderous. Margaret Beckett, two seats away, smiled a tight little smile.  Mr Rawnsley praised his wife for all her help. "She is my rock, my comfort and my joy," he said. The chancellor's jaw literally hung open. He hugged himself, like someone signalling the maitre d' to bring a strait jacket.  Then Mr Brown himself won the top award of all, for "the MP who has been the most outstanding figure in the House". They showed   short clips of people praising him. He looked delighted. Who wouldn't be? Labour MP Bob Marshall-Andrews declared on the monitors: "He is an absolutely typical Lowland Scot. He believes in the virtues of toil, and plunder."  Back in the Commons, Mr Blair was replying to William Hague. Did an early referendum on the euro mean within two years of the next parliament? (The Tory leader seems to have given up any hope of winning.)  "Early in the next parliament would, of course, be within two years," Mr Blair replied. Mr Brown scowled.  Win some, lose some. But he seems to win nearly all the time, so I don't suppose he'll mind too much.