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
Parliament may be in recess – but for Reform UK the work does not stop. This morning Mr S noticed a bit of transfer activity on the party’s Companies House page. Both Nigel Farage and Richard Tice were no longer listed as ‘persons with significant control’; in their place was Reform 2025 Ltd, as of
To Oxford, where William Hague was today admitted as the university’s 160th chancellor. In an hour-long ceremony, the onetime Tory leader was welcomed by Jonathan Katz, Oxford’s Public Orator. He reflected on Chris Patten’s decision to retire as Chancellor, noting that ‘there are precedents’ – indeed, to use ‘academic terminology’, ‘the great Creator himself took
Dear oh dear. The Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference almost got through its entire meet-up without much interference from lefty activists. But as it threatened to come to a peaceful close this afternoon, the eco-zealots stepped in. Environmental justice group Fossil Free London has taken to Twitter to rally fellow climate comrades in a
There’s only one book which all of Westminster is talking about. Traditionally, the post of Chief Whip has been filled by various men in grey suits, the very embodiment of discretion and anonymity. But today Simon Hart has begun serialising his tell-all diaries. From 2022 to 2024, he served as Rishi’s enforcer, desperately trying to
Well, well, well. As Nigel Farage’s Reform party continues to poll well across the UK, north of the border the right-wing group is making yet more gains in Scotland. Now yet another Scottish Tory councillor has defected to join Reform UK, with the party announcing this morning that Alec Leishman had switched sides – as
It’s a gaffe day with Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour lot and now the spotlight is on policing minister Diana Johnson. The Labour MP took to the airwaves this morning to sell Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s announcement that the maximum prison sentence for people selling knives to children under 18 will be increased in light of
Well, well, well. Gender is back on the agenda in Holyrood again after the ongoing Sandie Peggie v NHS Fife case sparked outrage across the country. Scottish politicians held off on declaring their support for the female nurse, who took her health board and transgender doctor Dr Beth Upton to a tribunal over harassment allegations,
Dear oh dear. Sir Keir Starmer hasn’t caught a break since his party took power last July – and this week is no exception. Now the UK’s most senior judge has taken a pop at the Labour leader over ‘unacceptable’ criticism of an immigration judge who allowed Gazan refugees entry to the UK. Even the
11 months ago, the Duchess of Sussex promised big things with the launch of her new lifestyle brand. Last March eagle-eyed social media users quickly spotted a new Instagram account called ‘American Riviera Orchard’ with the biography reading: ‘By Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex.’ Yet fast forward to the beginning of 2025 and, er, nothing
Another day, another Rachel Reeves-related drama. The Chancellor is facing fresh claims that she has exaggerated her CV – with the Labour politician now accused of falsely claiming to have academic work published in one of the world’s leading economics journals. It raises yet another question mark over the Reeves’ work record, after the Chancellor
It’s more than three months now since Kemi Badenoch took over as Tory leader. She has set out her vision in various speeches, with yesterday’s Arc address being the most recent example. So, how is she doing? Well, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, according to a poll of 2,000 voters for The Spectator
President Trump has been hard at work scrapping diversity courses stateside and international companies have followed suit – with Goldman Sachs and Deloitte some of the latest corporations to bin off their inclusion schemes. Whether the UK government will take a leaf out of Trump’s book is quite another matter, however. The Tories have called
Uh oh. Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying bill appears to have hit another bump in the road as it now transpires there may not be enough psychiatric doctors in the profession to make it work. Last week, an amendment put forward by the bill’s sponsor proposed that, instead of having a high court judge investigate each
The Munich Security Conference has come to a close, but not before generating global headlines after US Vice President JD Vance’s speech on Friday. Reform MP Rupert Lowe lauded the American as a ‘hero’ after Vance warned that free speech was ‘in retreat’ in the UK and Europe – but not everyone feels the same.
Well, well, well. After a rather rocky ride in the Sunday papers, Lord Hermer is back in the spotlight this week – for all the wrong reasons. It has emerged that Labour MPs are now calling on the Prime Minister’s ethics tsar to probe the Attorney General over potential conflicts of interest. Talk about a
Back to Scotland, where the Sandie Peggie v NHS Fife case has sparked outrage across the country. After nurse Peggie questioned a transgender doctor for using the female changing rooms, she was suspended by her health board. The move pushed her to bring a landmark tribunal against NHS Fife and Dr Beth Upton for harassment
Oh dear. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar will have been hoping for some positive headlines this weekend, as his party’s 2025 conference looms next week – but it wasn’t to be. New Norstat polling for the Sunday Times, interviewing 1,026 people between 11-14 February, suggests Sarwar’s group is heading for its worst Holyrood election result
To Germany, where the Munich Security Conference is in full swing. The city is hosting a number of political bigwigs – although Prime Minister Keir Starmer didn’t make an appearance – including US Vice President JD Vance. Addressing the conference this afternoon, the VP gave a rather punchy speech, first taking aim at Nato before
Well, well, well. It turns out that just under £1 million was spent on Jobcentre translation last year, with £882,118 splashed on language assistance including the International Pension Service. The figure was revealed in a parliamentary answer from the Department for Work and Pensions to Reform’s Rupert Lowe this week – who has called on
Back to the assisted dying bill which, it would appear, seems to be dying a slow death itself. The legislation is losing support after an amendment was introduced by its sponsor Kim Leadbeater – which removes the need for a high court judge to approve cases – ruffled feathers, with the Sun newspaper now coming