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
After a series of dreadful polls, self-inflicted blunders, and a resurgence of the Lib Dems, the Remainer party Change UK / Independent Group has struggled to justify its existence as we get closer to the European elections. The party was formed, after all, on the presumption that the Lib Dems (who did remarkably well in
With Theresa May set to leave office this year, the race is on to find her successor. Cabinet ministers are at pains to emphasise their leadership credentials. On Tuesday evening, Amber Rudd used a speech at think tank Onward’s first birthday party to share her views on the current situation. The Work and Pensions Secretary
Over in the states, the Republicans are often disparagingly called the ‘party of the one per cent’, referring to their alleged support for the richest tier of the country’s wealthy elite. But it appears that in the UK, another party could take their throne when it comes to representing the smallest section of society possible.
The Times prides itself as being the newspaper of record, but today it made an uncharacteristic blunder in its obituary of American actress and singer Doris Day. In the obituary, it featured a reference to the actress’ role in the 1965 film How to Murder Your Wife, saying: ‘She starred in a couple of dreadful films,
It’s fair to say that Theresa May’s decision to indulge in cross-party talks with Labour have not gone down well with Brexiteers in her party so far. This itself is no surprise, the talks involve two very unpalatable things for Tory MPs: working with Jeremy Corbyn, and adding a customs union to the Withdrawal Agreement (which
Ben Shapiro is the famous, fast-talking conservative pundit who regularly ‘owns’ aggressive university students with his quick wit and rapid repartee in America. Alas, Shapiro isn’t so ‘crazy smart’ when he comes up against difficult questions from a real interviewer. Yesterday he just couldn’t cope with an interrogation from the BBC’s Andrew Neil. He decided
When things don’t go to plan, it’s natural to use stories to put things into context. Theresa May earlier this week compared her flagging Brexit deal to Liverpool’s surprise comeback against Barcelona. While on This Week, the new Change UK MEP candidate, Rachel Johnson, sought to find a way to put her fledgling party’s woes
The Brexit Party has had a further boost in the polls today, but as Nigel Farage’s fledgling group continues to hoover up support from both main parties, the story on the other side has been rather different. Start-up pro-remain party Change UK has been locked in a rivalry with its doppelgänger, the Lib Dems, achieving
It seems inevitable that the European elections this month will be seen as a litmus test of the British public’s attitude to Brexit, especially when it comes to a second referendum. And, if Nigel Farage’s Brexit party triumphs over the Remain coalition, the case for a People’s Vote will be weaker than ever. So as
With less than a month to go until the European elections, and with Nigel Farage’s new Brexit party surging in the polls, pressure is continuing to build on Change UK – The Independent Group, whose performance has been far less impressive than its rival. Seeking to change that, was Change UK MP Mike Gapes, who
What does it mean to be a Conservative? It’s a question that most of the Tory front bench might struggle to answer these days, but if they were looking for guidance, they could do worse than heading to a packed Emmanuel Centre in London this evening. There, author, journalist and Spectator Associate Editor Douglas Murray
Whether it’s the Remainer group’s shambolic name change, it’s bizarre choice of logo, or unwise decision to snub an electoral pact with the Lib Dems, Change UK / TIG has not exactly established a reputation for competence in the few months since it was founded. But it appears the group hasn’t given up making new
With a Peterborough by-election scheduled for early June, there’s talk that it could lead to Parliament’s first Brexit Party MP. After disgraced former Labour MP Fiona Onasanya was forced out following a recall petition in light of her conviction for perverting the course of justice, Labour, the Conservatives and Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party are all
When the former defence secretary Gavin Williamson was fired from his position on Wednesday, for allegedly leaking information related to Huawei, China hawks in the Cabinet lost a key ally in their fight against the company’s involvement in the UK 5G network. The defence secretary was said to be one of five Cabinet ministers against
Things are going from bad to worse for Jeremy Corbyn. Labour has had a dismal night in the polls, losing nearly 100 councillors when the party had hoped to make gains at the Tories’ expense. And now Tony Robinson – the actor best known for playing Baldrick in Blackadder – has said he is quitting
MPs often struggle to bring out their human side when they’re on social media. Often, while ministers would like to give the impression that they are personally sending out warm replies and heartfelt facebook messages, in reality they have dedicated advisors writing posts for them. It seems that Jeremy Hunt might have been caught out by
The Tories are reeling after a dismal performance in the local elections overnight and things aren’t getting any better for Theresa May today. The Prime Minister has just taken to her feet at the Welsh Conservative conference but as she did so she was shouted down by a heckler calling for her to go: ‘Why
It’s always been the case that politics makes strange bedfellows, but even so, the current cross-party Brexit talks between Labour and the Conservatives have produced the oddest couple in a long time: Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May. One wants to remould the capitalist order, the other simply wants to survive as party leader until Christmas.
Today’s local election results are not a good look for Labour. After nine years of a Conservative Prime Minister leading the country, and the Tory party currently collapsing over its handling of Brexit, you would expect an opposition party to be triumphing in elections at this stage Yet as the local election results currently stand,
With widespread dissatisfaction across the country with the Tory party’s handling of Brexit, a key concern for CCHQ ahead of the local elections last night was turnout, and the risk that their supporters would simply stay at home. So it makes sense that at 8pm yesterday, with only two hours until the polls closed, a