Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike
The verdict is in: European Union diplomats are useless. But this isn’t the view of one of the EU’s usual detractors. It’s the assessment of Josep Borrell, Brussels’ very own foreign affairs chief. In a damning briefing to the European External Action Service, Borrell said he was fed up finding out information from newspapers before hearing it from his own officials.
‘Permanent revolution’ is the on dit in Whitehall these days – and what it means is that the Truss administration U-turns so often the whole machinery of government is constantly spinning round on its axis. The latest volte-face is the decision to appoint James Bowler, a 20-year establishment veteran, as Permanent Secretary to the Treasury.
JK Rowling is a feminist idol for lots of women. After the break-up of her marriage, Rowling became a single mum, whose literary ability eventually earned her fame and fortune. The Harry Potter author has campaigned tirelessly for women’s rights in recent years. For voicing her scepticism about whether men can transition to become women,
What an odd thing Sadiq Khan said following this morning’s stabbings in central London. Shortly before 10 a.m., three people were attacked by a man on a bike in Bishopsgate. The criminal is still at large, according to the Telegraph. This horrifying incident was no surprise to Londoners, so you would think that the Mayor would – from
Liz Truss’s Conservative party conference speech has been disrupted by climate protesters. The demonstrators stood up during the Prime Minister’s address and unveiled a banner with the words: ‘Who voted for this?’ The pair were booed by Tory members in the conference hall before being ejected by security. ‘Later on in my speech I’m going to
Conservative party conference has turned out to be a great opportunity – for Tory MPs and ministers alike to point the finger that is. Since Monday morning, the biggest blame game doing the rounds in Birmingham has been over who is responsible for Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s embarrassing climb-down to reverse the cut to the 45p income
Another day, another backbench rebellion brewing for Liz Truss. Having U-turned over the 45p tax rate cut following a revolt from Tory MPs, the Prime Minister is once again facing trouble. This time it’s her plan to raise benefits in line with earnings rather than inflation that is going down badly. Below is The Spectator’s running tally
To inspire one Nadine Dorries tweet may be regarded as a misfortune, to inspire two looks like carelessness. Less than 24 hours after the former Culture Secretary criticised Truss for appearing to blame her Chancellor for the 45p tax debacle, she’s back at it again. Frustrated by Truss’s decision to junk much of the Johnson
Oh dear. It’s bad enough that Liz Truss has had to U turn on her 45p tax cut plan. But because she did it so late last night – at an emergency summit with Kwasi Kwarteng – it meant that Truss only did it after doing a round of ITV regional interviews, but before the
It was Pendemonium last night at the Tory conference as Penny Mordaunt toured the evening circuit, following her recent leadership bid. Adoring fans met her at every turn, with one remarking to Mr S ‘she’s what we could have won!’ At the midnight reception for Conservatives in Communication, dozens swarmed the Leader of the House,
To the Think Tent, home of the IEA and Taxpayers’ Alliance. Who would the free market thinkers be cheering this year, now that their heroine is running the country? To no one’s surprise, Kemi Badenoch was the star speaker, following her impressive leadership bid earlier this summer. Some wags suggest that Kemi’s campaign never actually
George Osborne knows a thing or two about an omnishambles Budget. Having hiked taxes on pasties back in 2012, the then-chancellor was forced into a humiliating u-turn. So far, his successor Kwasi Kwarteng is holding his ground over his ‘mini Budget’. But how long can that last? Osborne’s verdict is that it might not be long before
It’s day one at Tory conference and already tensions are running high. Conservative MPs are coming out to attack Liz Truss’s 45p tax cut, angry activists are muttering about mutiny and the markets are braced for more turmoil tomorrow. So who better than Nadine Dorries to calm the situation? Now relieved of her Cabinet post,
Well it’s that time of year again. Fresh from internecine civil war, the Tory party will drag itself together again this weekend for another Conservative Party Conference, this year held in the great city of Birmingham. Mr S has done some scanning and it appears that Michael Gove takes the gong for most scheduled appearances
So much for the honeymoon. Liz Truss closes her first ‘proper’ fortnight of politics this weekend with her backbenchers in open revolt and talk already building of a mounting government U-turn. There have been plenty of damning verdicts on last Friday’s ‘mini Budget’ but none more so than the YouGov poll which put Labour a
Gosh! Cripes! Gazooks! It seems that those tireless seekers of truth at the Guardian have done it again. They’ve stumbled on something of a scoop: so toxic is new Prime Minister Liz Truss that even her former colleagues don’t want to vote for her. This afternoon the newspaper published a scathing piece by Nick Boles,
The regional BBC round is normally the amuse-bouche of pre-conference media: a bit of light relief before the main course. But with a plunging pound and market mania, this morning’s media appearances for Liz Truss resembled something of a turkey shoot, with eight regional interviewers lining up in 60 minutes to savage the PM’s mini-Budget. Given
As day four of Labour conference begins here in Brighton, Mr S has been touring the conference centre and World Transformed festival to see how Keir Starmer’s party is preparing for government. A quick tour reveals that there’s far less cranks now attending the official shindig, with far less Hawaiian shirts, Corbyn merchandise and Socialist Worker
Oh dear. Things couldn’t have been going better for Labour leader Keir Starmer. The left has been routed, the Tories are divided, the pound is plunging and the markets are panicking. But in true Labour style, his MPs are always on hand to pull defeat from the jaws of victory. Speaking at a British Future
Every revolution has its casualties and the Truss takeover was no exception. With a new PM comes new courtiers, and No. 10 has duly witnessed a clear-out of staff from Boris Johnson’s ancien régime . And while the fallen king contents himself post-premiership with his long-awaited Shakespeare tome, other members of his court must find new