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
Could China have done more to prevent the coronavirus pandemic? One tabloid editor in Germany certainly thinks so and an extraordinary bust-up has broken out between the Chinese government and his newspaper as a result. The row kicked off last week when Bild – the best-selling paper in Germany – published an editorial entitled ‘What China owes
Following a weekend of negative headlines for the government over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, any cross-party truce to hold off criticism of the Prime Minister while he recovers is well and truly over. However, one group with whom Boris Johnson remains popular is the general public. In recent weeks, the Conservatives have enjoyed some of their best approval
Was Matt Hancock shrugging off Coronavirus in late January? An ‘insight’ article in the Sunday Times which has spread like wildfire online accuses him of doing so. The virus was making its way over the world, it says, but ‘it took just an hour that January 24 lunchtime to brush aside the coronavirus threat. Matt
It was a tale of two interviews on the Today programme this morning. First up on the show was Neil Ferguson, professor of mathematical biology at Imperial College London, who has been instrumental in forming the UK government’s response to the coronavirus crisis, and whose virus modelling led to the current lockdown being put in
There’s nothing like a national crisis to get your priorities in order. With the coronavirus death toll in the UK passing 10,000 this weekend, one government adviser has said Britain could be on course to be the worst performing country in Europe when it comes to overall fatalities. So, surely this is the issue on which the Labour
Most people are delighted at the news that Boris Johnson’s condition has improved enough for him to come out of intensive care. But not union boss Steve Hedley. Hedley, the assistant general secretary of the RMT Union, wrote on Facebook: ‘I don’t want to offend you, but if Bojo pops his clogs, I’m throwing a party.
This week Keir Starmer’s formed his new Shadow Cabinet replacing several Corbynista stalwarts with his own favoured MPs on the frontbenches. As a result the Labour party has lost some of the ‘titans’ and ‘heavyweights’ of the Corbyn-era, who are no longer shadowing the great offices of state. To commemorate their departure, Mr Steerpike is compiling the best
Donald Trump was one of the first world leaders to voice his support for poorly PM, wishing him a speedy recovery and calling Johnson ‘a great gentleman’. At last night’s White House press briefing, the US President went a step further, telling reporters that he had personally instructed private medical staff to assist Boris Johnson. Trump
So long Richard Burgon. Yes, Keir Starmer has decided to ‘stand down’ the would-be firebrand. Since Jeremy Corbyn appointed him as a shadow minister in 2015, the dedicated socialist has been a regular source of entertainment to Westminster watchers. So it is with some sadness that Mr S sees him returned to the Labour backbenches. With
Labour MP Anneliese Dodds was thrown in at the deep-end yesterday, after it was announced that she had been appointed Shadow Chancellor by the new Labour leader, Keir Starmer. Dodds has never held a top Shadow Cabinet position before, and has only been an MP since 2017. But in the end it was working from
Some in the Labour party were hoping that the end of Jeremy Corbyn’s shambolic tenure as leader today, would usher in a new era of competence for the party, as Keir Starmer takes over. It appears though that some of Labour’s issues might run deeper. Today, the party was set to announce to the world
Over the last few weeks, we’ve all been getting used to the realities of working from home. So Mr S was pleased to see the Cabinet getting stuck in with remote working earlier this morning. Yes, secretaries of state and government ministers dialled in from their London pads and constituency piles to coordinate the response to
Naughty, naughty. It seems the MP for Aberavon failed to follow the stringent lockdown rules over the weekend. Stephen Kinnock decided to pay a visit to his father to celebrate the former Labour leader’s 78th birthday. It seems Kinnock Jnr thought he was following the rules on social interaction when he decided to sit in an open-air
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has just announced that he has also tested positive for coronavirus. Matt Hancock has tweeted out a video in which he says he has been suffering from mild symptoms of the disease and is now self-isolating at home. His announcement follows the revelation by Boris Johnson that
Oh, if only we had listened to Richard Horton sooner. That seemed to be the message that the editor-in-chief of the Lancet was trying to get across on Question Time when he lambasted the government for failing to get to grips with the coronavirus crisis. Yes, if you had tuned in to the popular BBC discussion show last
As the House of Commons rises for a premature Easter recess, coronavirus continues to dominate all parliamentary business. However, today also marks Jeremy Corbyn’s final day in parliament as Labour leader – he put in his last Prime Minister’s Questions opposition performance this lunchtime. While many in Corbyn’s own party won’t be sad to see him
In the clearest sign yet that the coronavirus does not care about status, wealth or class, Prince Charles announced today that he has tested positive for the disease. According to a statement released by Clarence House, the heir apparent felt ‘mild symptoms’ on Sunday night, but ‘otherwise remains in good health’. Charles was tested on
It seems the Observer’s favourite intrepid investigative journalist has been at it again. Yes, Carole Cadwalladr has been tweeting. On Sunday evening, Cadwalladr decided to deviate from telling her half a million Twitter followers that the UK is in the palm of the Russians by explaining that we are now living through an unprecedented era of press control
With Westminster seemingly awash with coronavirus, the number of MPs and government aides in self-isolation increases by the day. This has led to chatter within government over who ought to step in should Boris Johnson find himself out of action for two weeks with a case of Covid-19. As first secretary of state, Dominic Raab is
For those wondering how coronavirus will affect the Brexit negotiations, one immediate issue has arisen today: Michel Barnier has contracted the disease. The EU’s chief negotiator revealed the diagnosis on social media this morning, and said that ‘I am doing well and in good spirits. I am following all the necessary instructions, as is my team.’
