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
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’,
Is Jeremy Corbyn pro Remain or pro Leave? Three years have passed since the EU referendum, but the Labour leader still won’t answer that question. In an interview with ITV’s Joe Pike, Corbyn was asked eight times whether he now backed leave or remain. And eight times he refused to say: Joe Pike: “So are you
Since 2016, Brexit has been dividing families, splitting friends, ruining dinner parties. But perhaps the one family whose split over the EU has been the most public, drawn-out and frankly Shakespearean, is that of the Johnson family. While Boris is determined to take us out by 31 October do or die, his Remainer brother Jo
Jean-Claude Juncker, the outgoing President of the EU Commission was in fine spirits today, as he passed on some positive news for those hoping a Brexit deal will be struck by Boris Johnson before 31 October. The former Luxembourg PM was interviewed by Sophy Ridge for Sky News, and assured her that a Brexit deal with the
The Liberal Democrats have been going through something of a minor identity crisis as of late, after the party allowed the former Tory MP Phillip Lee to cross the aisle and join their ranks. Lee’s support in the past for checking migrants at the border for HIV, and his abstention on a key vote for
There have been plenty of revelations about David Cameron this week, from the time he questioned Michael Gove’s sanity to when he got ‘off his head’ on dope at Eton. But Mr S thinks our former prime minister might have saved the best admission until now. On ITV’s This Morning, Cameron was talking about how
A suitably mad crowd gathered at the Spectator offices last night to celebrate the launch of Douglas Murray’s new book, The Madness of Crowds. Mr Steerpike marvelled at Mr Murray’s ability to bring such an intriguing mix of people together: where else in the world could you find Kevin Spacey, Paul Joseph Watson and a
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick has admitted she felt sympathy for the officer who said Carl Beech’s claims were ‘credible and true’. Speaking to Nick Ferrari on LBC, Dick said when she heard the officer’s comments she ‘just felt for him immediately’. Convicted paedophile Beech was jailed for 18 years in July after he was found guilty of
