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
Every family across the UK knows the familiar dread of hosting a party, attended by an infamous uncle who can always be relied on to say something outrageous and offend unfamiliar guests. When it comes to Theresa May’s cabinet, there could be a few contenders for the title of ‘embarrassing uncle,’ but this week, it
Choosing a warm-up act to introduce a big speech is a delicate balancing act. Pick someone too woeful and the crowd is deflated before you’ve even begun. But pick someone too impressive, and your own efforts begin to pale in comparison. Theresa May came perilously close to the latter this afternoon, when she asked her
In a successful conference speech, Theresa May finally laid out to members and the public the direction she wanted to take the country. But did she make the most difficult part of premiership, her Brexit plan, any clearer? Judging by how well her cabinet understands her Chequers strategy, Mr Steerpike doesn’t think so. After her
Theresa May has made quite an entrance ahead of her big speech at Tory party conference. The Prime Minister danced on to the stage to the tune of Dancing Queen: Mr S. wonders whether the PM will still be in the mood for dancing by the end of her speech…
Poor old Theresa May. The Prime Minister hasn’t even got on stage to deliver her speech at Tory party conference and already things are not going quite to plan. Tory MP James Duddridge has announced this morning that he thinks it is time for Theresa May to step down – and that Boris’s speech was
Boris Johnson’s speech attracted the largest crowd of any conference fringe event. But does Boris have the backing of party members? Mr Steerpike spoke to some activists to see what they made of the speech: Phoebe McCullough, 21, from Twickenham, a student at Sterling university, had this to say: John Bennet, 23, from Sterling, said
The Tory tradition of blue-on-blue attacks at the party’s conference continues. Today, it’s the turn of Anna Soubry to mock young Tory activists. When Telegraph journalist Christopher Hope said that the pictures of empty seats in the main conference hall didn’t tell the full story of what is happening in Birmingham and that many fringe
Boris Johnson’s fringe speech certainly went down well with members today, when a packed auditorium erupted in cheers as he rallied against the Chequers deal. But it looks like one person was less keen on Boris’s attempt to pitch his leadership. As the Sun’s Harry Cole pointed out, Boris’s brother Jo Johnson did not attend
Poor old Sajid Javid. While a huge queue of Tory activists were waiting to hear from Boris Johnson, there were empty seats in the main hall as the Home Secretary gave his speech. Things went from bad to worse for Sajid when he tripped over his words: ‘We will fight hope… hate… fight against hate,
It’s been a rather dry affair inside the main hall at Conservative conference this year, as ministers struggle to come up with new policies and a vision for the country that can unite and inspire voters. Fortunately, things are much more fun outside the main hall. At the conference’s various fringe events, activists and members
Boris Johnson has arrived at Tory party conference and excitement among activists is building ahead of his big speech at 1pm. Already a queue of party members is snaking through the conference centre – nearly three hours before Boris is due to take to the stage. Here’s Mr Steerpike’s video of those waiting in line
As Boris Johnson and the accompanying media circus descend on conference today, pundits have been asking – is he the Heineken statesman of old, or more of a Marmite politician? Judging by his popularity among his Scottish colleagues in parliament, Mr S can confidently say he’s not an Irn Bru political figure. The deep loathing
There was a time, back in the day, when cabinet ministers were the star attraction of the Conservative conference show. Attendees would queue round the block to hear from famous faces in the party and hear how they were going to tackle the biggest issues of the day. But those days are no more. Instead,
It’s safe to say that Jacob Rees-Mogg isn’t keen on the Prime Minister’s Chequers plan. But Rees-Mogg has still stopped short of calling for Theresa May to go. Some other Brexit supporters don’t agree and think it is time for Tory Brexiteers to call an end to May’s time in office. One such activist made
Boris Johnson continues to be the target of attacks from fellow Tory MPs at the party’s conference in Birmingham, even though he’s not yet even arrived in town. Yesterday, it was Digby Jones and Philip Hammond who took a swipe at him. Today, it’s former deputy PM Damian Green. At a Spectator fringe event, Green
Liam Fox was once a minister in a Tory-Lib Dem government. But seven years is a long time in politics. Now, Fox has changed his mind about his former coalition partners, branding the Lib Dems ‘crazy’: ‘When we leave the European Union, people will no longer regard themselves as leavers or remainers, a few, mostly
Mr S was intrigued by reports that the former foreign secretary had been photographed running through a field of wheat this morning. Was it trolling Theresa May for her infamous “fields of wheat” comments during the snap election? But on closer inspection, Boris isn’t running through a field of wheat. Indeed, the harvest has been
There’s been no short of soul-searching in Birmingham this week, as Conservatives wonder how they can challenge an increasingly threatening looking Labour party. In a speech at an Institute for Economic Affairs bash last night, Treasury minister Liz Truss thought she was able to identify the problem: ‘There are some people in Britain who say
It’s day two of Conservative party conference and the Tory wars are in full swing. This morning it’s the turn of Philip Hammond to cause trouble. In an interview with the Daily Mail, the Chancellor repeatedly mocked Boris Johnson, saying that his former cabinet colleague is incapable of grown-up politics. But while Hammond was happy
It’s day one of Tory conference and already the blue-on-blue warfare is rife. Aside from Boris-bashing in the main hall, the fringes have been witness to some choice comments. This afternoon’s ‘How Can Conservatives Win Back Under 45s in 2022’ fringe event, saw a panel comprised of Justine Greening, Neil O’Brien, David Willets, George Freeman
