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
Boris Johnson came in for criticism last week for his language in Parliament, but are his critics any better? Mr S headed down to a protest in Manchester timed for the start of Tory party conference to find out. It was mostly good natured, with clowns banging drums, a Boris blimp and a decent turn
Jacob Rees-Mogg has just given a pretty accurate summary of the state of British politics. The leader of the House of Commons pulled no punches as he addressed the Tory faithful at party conference. Mogg said Corbyn is a ‘weak man’, likened shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer to Brutus and said the Lib Dems were
The Conservative party may have improved its use of social media in recent years, ditching the staid pictures of Cabinet ministers at party conference for cheerful images of young activists and campaigners, but it appears that it still might be struggling when it comes to marketing its events. This week, in an Instagram post counting
When the Tories last came to Manchester for their party conference, delegates were greeted by a ‘Hang the Tories’ protest banner. Mr S is sad to report that the welcome this time from some is not any friendlier. ‘130,000 killed under Tory rule. Time to level the playing field’, declares a banner in Salford above
David Cameron’s autobiography was supposed to be a chance for the former prime minister to settle scores and have his say on his time in office. But Cameron’s book is also something that he didn’t intend: a convincing case for Brexit. ‘For the Record’ is littered with examples of EU officials and council members undermining UK interests
Justin Trudeau found himself in hot water last week after pictures emerged of him ‘blacking up’ for a fancy-dress party. A week on, an unlikely supporter has leapt to the Canadian prime minister’s defence. Step forward, Desmond Swayne. In a blog on his website titled ‘Trudeau’s Turban’, the flamboyant Brexiteer said the only thing Trudeau
Labour MP Karl Turner took the opportunity to berate Boris Johnson’s adviser Dominic Cummings in a heated, and slightly bizarre, exchange in the House of Commons yesterday. Turner (whose staff just happened to be filming the MP’s grandstanding) approached Cummings in Portcullis House and attacked him for the ‘sort of language’ Boris Johnson had used
There is no love lost between MPs in the Commons today following last night’s fractious debate. But has one Labour MP gone a little too far in calling for her opposite number to say sorry? Shadow Commons leader Valerie Vaz took to her feet this afternoon to ask Geoffrey Cox to ‘come to the House
Geoffrey Cox is not a happy bunny. The Attorney General has just blasted MPs, telling them that Parliament is a ‘disgrace’. Here’s what he had to say in the Commons: ‘This Parliament has declined three times to pass a withdrawal agreement. Then we now have a wide number of this house setting its face against
What’s the biggest threat facing the Labour party? The Tories? The Lib Dems? Brexit? All wrong, says pro-Corbyn film director Ken Loach. The Kes filmmaker reckons its the likes of Tom Watson and other Labour MPs failing to line up behind Jeremy that is the thing to worry about right now. Loach told Mr S’s
Less than two hours ago the Supreme Court released its verdict that Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue parliament was both unlawful and void. In its judgement, the Court decreed that since Parliament was never, legally, prorogued, the House of Commons could return as soon as the Speakers of the Commons and Lords arranged for it
Labour members are planning a mass walkout at Tom Watson’s conference speech this afternoon. And as for Brexit, it’s safe to say Labour remains divided on the issue of whether Britain should stay in or leave the EU. Not so, says Len McCluskey. The Unite boss was asked by Sky News’s Beth Rigby about the split
There’s been an uneasy mood at the Labour party conference in stormy Brighton this week, as the party has split over whether it should back Remain in a second referendum, argued over the abolition of its deputy leader Tom Watson, and fought over who should be the successor to Jeremy Corbyn’s throne. But despite all the flux,
Labour conference was mired in controversy this afternoon, as the party voted against backing Remain in a second referendum. While the party’s conference ended up passing Jeremy Corbyn’s preferred Brexit position, the key vote on whether Labour would back Remain was only dropped after Labour’s general secretary and Corbyn ally, Jennie Formby overruled the debate
Emily Thornberry took to the stage today at Labour conference to try and make the case for her party backing an unequivocally Remain position ahead of a potential second referendum. Perhaps wisely, the Shadow Foreign Sec opted to ditch her EU themed outfit from yesterday, but Thornberry still managed to cause a stir with her
Here we go. As the debate continues within the Labour party as to which Brexit policy will win the party the most seats at a general election, the mainstream domestic policy agenda is progressing nicely. This evening, Labour delegates approved a motion for a Labour government to seemingly abolish private schools. The motion is to
With a cross-party group of MPs successfully passing legislation to instruct the government to seek an Article 50 extension rather than go for no deal, the Prime Minister could be forced to seek a Brexit delay if he cannot agree a deal. However, Boris Johnson has said on numerous occasions that he will do no
Tom Watson’s position as deputy leader of the Labour party hangs in the balance this weekend after a move was made on the party’s national executive committee to oust him by abolishing his post. The motion was proposed by Jon Lansman, founder of Labour grassroots group Momentum. Although Watson survived Friday’s vote, a second attempt will be made
If Brexit can’t be sorted out by mere mortals, perhaps the UK and EU need some divine inspiration to break the deadlock. That was perhaps what an Irish priest was thinking when he presented Taoiseach Leo Varadkar with a bottle of holy water this afternoon. But it seems Varadkar had other ideas about what to do
Students went on strike today worldwide to protest against climate change. Luckily, the London protest took place only a stone’s throw away from the Spectator office so Steerpike went down to Parliament Square to see what action the eco-protesters want taken as a country. Only, with signs ranging from ‘F–k Boris’ to ‘Defy Tory Rule’,