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
Oh dear. As the government goes into meltdown over whether or not Windrush immigrants have been accidentally deported or not, Amber Rudd has found herself in the firing line at the despatch box – with David Lammy tabling an urgent question. However, the Home Secretary appears to have found a scapegoat… the Home Office: ‘I
They say the term ‘car crash TV’ is over-used these days. However, Mr S is pretty sure a case of car crash television occurred this afternoon on BBC news. As a BBC correspondent reported from outside the drink-driving trial of Ant McPartlin – of Ant and Dec fame – a vehicle collision occurred. Well, that
Oh to be a fly-in-the-wall at the Home Office today. The government department appears to be in a state of meltdown as Amber Rudd and her ministers attempt some damage limitation after it was revealed that a request by Commonwealth leaders to discuss the cases of the Windrush generation experiencing immigration issues with the Prime
Last week there was an exclusive in the Times – widely followed up – revealing majority support for NHS-linked tax rises. ‘For the first time in more than a decade, a majority of Britons say that they are personally willing to pay more to increase spending, according to the respected British Social Attitudes survey’. It
At times it has seemed as though Labour under Jeremy Corbyn has not seen winning power as a top priority. Now it seems that winning the Labour leadership contest wasn’t even Corbyn’s desired result in the beginning. In an interview with Owen Jones, Corbyn ally Jon Lansman reveals what Corbyn said when he made it
There are many figures in the Labour party who wish that Jeremy Corbyn would stay schtum on foreign policy. Whether it’s his anti-West views, warm feeling towards his ‘friends’ Hamas or complicated relationship with Russia, when the Labour leader turns to international affairs, many of his MPs look on in despair. But up until now
Simon McCoy has a reputation for being the BBC’s most gaffe-prone presenter. On Wednesday, he reminded viewers why. As Jane Hill presented the news, McCoy wandered onto the set and walked into the line of the camera: https://twitter.com/liarpoliticians/status/984054620392652802 Here’s a brief reminder of some of McCoy’s greatest hits: Simon McCoy ‘no news’ royal baby broadcast
This week Tony Blair managed to say something surprising. In a rare sighting of modesty, the former prime minister said that he was not the man to lead a new centre party. But could another Blair be the man for the job? Mr S only asks after the Guardian reported that the new centre party
Theresa May’s ‘strong and stable’ election campaign was nothing short of a disaster for the Tories. But it isn’t all doom and gloom for everyone concerned. Step forward Sir Lynton Crosby. Crosby’s firm CTF Partners helped to mastermind the Conservative campaign. Although that didn’t play out exactly as intended, the company has just reported a
This afternoon Jeremy Corbyn received the news that Israel’s Labour party are to suspend relations with him – accusing the Labour leader of sanctioning anti-Semitism. However, Corbyn can at least end the day even – having won a surprise endorsement. Former BNP leader Nick Griffin has taken to social media to say that he plans to
Oh dear. Barry Gardiner’s bad day has gone from bad to worse. After a recording emerged of the shadow international trade secretary describing the Good Friday Agreement as ‘a shibboleth’ in the Brexit negotiations, Gardiner issued an apology. Now it seems as though he may be required to apologise for the second time in the space
Morrissey caused a stir last month when he used a blog post to lambast the Indy for an article – aka ‘an extreme Hate Piece so loaded with vile bile that it almost choked on its own endless capacity to be appalled’ – daring to criticise him. Happily, the former Smiths frontman’s latest entry is more
As shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott has earned a reputation for getting her numbers in a muddle. Now it seems that there is also an issue on the government side. Appearing on LBC, Victoria Atkins came up short when asked how many police offices are in the country. The Home Office minister responded by telling
The UN Security Council will meet on Monday to discuss a suspected chemical attack in Syria on the rebel-held town of Douma. With dozens of people killed, today there has been widespread outrage, with President Trump one of many to criticise Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies Russia and Iran – saying there will be a ‘big
Here we go again. Although John McDonnell advised his Labour comrades to boycott Russia Today following the Salisbury poisoning, not everyone is willing to take heed of his advice. On Thursday, Chris Williamson – a key Corbyn ally – took to the airwaves of the Kremlin-funded broadcaster to cast doubt on the government’s handling of the
David Lammy has just popped up on BBC News to complain about the lack of police on Britain’s streets. Unfortunately for the Labour MP, as he was doing so Mr S couldn’t help but notice who was standing behind him: a police officer. Lammy told the BBC: ‘We haven’t seen a police while I’ve been
In this week’s issue of The Spectator, Will Heaven reports that the beleaguered Tories in London mooted formally breaking away from the national party and become a separate entity with their own brand and leader, like the Scottish Tories under Ruth Davidson, in a bid to avoid electoral catastrophe in the upcoming local elections. Although the
Oh dear. On Bank Holiday Monday, Stella Creasy took to the airwaves to promote the #PayMeToo campaign launched to close the gender pay gap. The campaign claims to give working women advice on how to tackle the gender pay where they work. Alas, the Labour MP appeared to be taken by surprise to find the Institute
There are some things in life that are inevitable: the sun rising in the east, the bus always being late and Labour centrists suggesting David Miliband is the saviour of British politics. Today Rachel Sylvester has delivered on the latter. Writing in the Times, Sylvester suggests that the answer to the lack of centre in British
Oh dear. The Labour party is once again divided thanks to the unfolding row over allegations of anti-Semitism. Although Jeremy Corbyn has insisted there is no place in the party for anti-Semitic views, the Labour leader has antagonised many of his MPs further with his decision to attend a Jewdas – ‘radical Jewish diaspora group’