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
Theresa May is taking a break from defending her Brexit deal in Parliament – giving the chance to her Attorney General to have a go instead. But Geoffrey Cox’s sales pitch to MPs on the Brexit backstop isn’t going entirely to plan. Cox confirmed to Parliament that there is ‘no unilateral right’ for Britain –
Theresa May has just over a week to go until her Brexit deal is voted on in the Commons, and while all the signs suggest she is facing a thumping defeat, the Maybot is still sticking to the script. In an interview with Phillip Schofield on This Morning, May was asked what will happen if
And so another hellish week for Theresa May begins. The Prime Minister must somehow avoid publishing the Attorney General’s legal advice for all MPs and then convince 100 Conservative MPs to put their doubts aside and back her deal ahead of next week’s vote. So far, the signs are not good. But there is at
Oh dear. It’s no great secret that under Jeremy Corbyn there is little love lost between the Labour party and the mainstream media. The Labour leader and his supporters rarely miss a chance to take a jab at hacks – whether it’s calling for press reforms or simply booing journalists at party events. However, the
With the 2017 Parliamentarian of the Year winner Ruth Davidson on maternity leave, Liz Truss stepped in to present this year’s awards – taking the opportunity to send up her cabinet colleagues, fellow MPs and the US president. Below is her speech in full: It’s fantastic to be here this evening. I have to admit
To the Spectator’s Parliamentarian of the Year awards where politicians from across the political divide gathered to celebrate the best of Westminster. After a year which saw numerous cabinet resignations, failed coups and Brexit barneys, the annual awards proved more topical than ever. Liz Truss stepped in for last year’s Parliamentarian winner Ruth Davidson –
Geoffrey Cox’s rousing warm-up act for Theresa May at Tory party conference elevated the Attorney General’s public profile. In the weeks since, Cox’s importance has continued to grow, as cabinet ministers – both remainers and leavers – have come to depend on his legal know-how to interpret the Brexit deal. And now, Cox has been
Earlier this month Mr Steerpike noted that here might be some domestic troubles in one Westminster household, after MP Jack Lopestri came out in support of May’s Brexit deal – unlike Andrea Jenkyns, his Brexiteer wife. Now it appears that Number 10 were paying attention too: today they announced that Lopestri has joined the government,
When Gary Lineker isn’t talking about football there is another subject that he likes to bang on about: Brexit. Lineker has backed the ‘People’s Vote’ campaign and is calling for a second referendum. As the Chancellor Philip Hammond unveiled his Brexit forecasts this morning, Lineker was spurred into action on Twitter: The only problem? That
Once again, it’s been another eventful year in Westminster, with 14 Cabinet resignations, a seemingly endless negotiation process with the EU, and more than one attempted coup. After making it through mostly unscathed, politicians headed en masse this evening to the Spectator’s Parliamentarian of the year awards, to celebrate their achievements – or lack thereof. Liz
If Jeremy Corbyn makes it to No.10, then Diane Abbott will be Home Secretary. In that role, Abbott will be ultimately responsible for the police. But the Labour MP isn’t doing much to win over the affection of the thin blue line. In a tweet yesterday, Abbott had a pop at police officers for knocking
In a strident editorial yesterday, the Guardian newspaper made the case for hiring people from a wider range of backgrounds: ‘Divisions between academic and vocational education are symptomatic of our class-ridden society’ the left-wing paper preached from its pulpit. The article then tutted that ‘Four out of the last five education secretaries went to the
Theresa May has managed to anger quite a few MPs in recent weeks with her withdrawal agreement, but none more so than the DUP, who are livid that it creates regulatory barriers between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. And judging by the reaction of one DUP MP in the chamber today, it doesn’t look to
Oh dear. Over the weekend No.10 came under much criticism after it emerged that John Hayes had been awarded an impromptu knighthood. Unkind souls were quick to suggest that the motivation for giving the long time Tory Eurosceptic the honour was less than pure. With the crunch Brexit deal vote coming up the track, Tory
On Friday evening, Philip Hammond headed to DUP conference in a bid to win over Arlene Foster’s party after they went on strike over the Irish backstop. With Foster telling the BBC that the DUP’s confidence and supply agreement could be over permanently if Theresa May’s deal is voted through, the future does not look
With the DUP currently refusing to vote with the Tories following grievances over the proposed Irish backstop, Theresa May’s party is having to try out life as a minority government. Piling on the pressure, DUP leader Arlene Foster has told the BBC that her party would have to revisit its confidence and supply deal with the
Diane Abbott has a stark warning for those clamouring for a second referendum: be careful what you wish for. The Labour MP’s warning won’t go down well with those from the ‘People’s Vote’ campaign, who desperately need the support of the Labour party if their wish is to come true. On Nick Robinson’s podcast, Abbott
Theresa May is back on the radio flogging her Brexit deal to a sceptical public. Unsurprisingly, few of those who phoned in to BBC 5 Live seemed impressed by what the Prime Minister had to offer. One listener asked the PM to tell him, without any ‘political waffle’, whether her deal is better than staying
Readers may be familiar with the ultra-Corbynite MP Chris Williamson for many reasons. They may have heard about his campaign to deselect his fellow MPs. Or his frequent appearances on Russia Today. Or his hostile reaction to any suggestion that Labour might have an anti-Semitism problem. But who knew that Williamson had a modest streak
Since Nigel Farage stepped down as the head of Ukip in 2016, the subsequent leaders have, to put it mildly, struggled to stay in power for very long. First there was Paul Nutall, who stepped down after nine months following a disastrous election showing – and some questionable claims about his involvement in the Hillsborough
