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
Here we go again. For some time now Labour’s Brexit confusion can be described as ‘complicated’ at best. Matters aren’t helped by the fact that Labour shadow cabinet members often go on the airwaves and contradict each others – sometimes even themselves. This was evidenced last month took to the Andrew Marr show to claim
Next week at Davos, world leaders – including President Trump and Emmanuel Macron – will gather at the elite meet-up to flex their diplomatic muscles and prove how big a player they are on the global stage. Happily, Vladimir Putin has offered them an early lesson in how to show you’re a hard man. The
With the new Tory vice-chairman for youth, Ben Bradley, currently making headlines for ill-judged blog posts from 2012, it’s safe to say that Theresa May’s plan to revamp CCHQ by appointing 13 MPs as vice-chairs, hasn’t gone entirely to plan. However, one vice chairman is determined to make a success of her brief – no
Oh dear. Although Karen Bradley has only been in her new job as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for just over a week, she has already managed to ruffle a few feathers. Unfortunately for her, those feathers belong to the all-powerful DUP. It’s been reported that in a sit down with written press this morning,
It’s been a difficult week for Ben Bradley, the new Tory vice chair for youth. In unearthed blog posts dating back to 2012, Bradley suggested that benefit claimants should have vasectomies rather than claim multiple child benefits, accused public sector workers of being ‘lost in their own fantasy land’ and said that in the case
Oh dear. After three Momentum candidates – including key Corbyn ally Jon Lansman – were elected to Labour’s national executive committee on Monday, the NEC swiftly moved to oust Ann Black as chair of the Disputes Panel in favour of Christine Shawcroft. Given that Shawcroft was previously suspended by the party in 2015, the move has
Ken Clarke is back on his feet talking about Brexit in the Commons again – but his speech has not gone down well with all of his colleagues. Sitting behind him, his fellow Tory MP Sir Desmond Swayne struggled to stay awake as Clarke talked about the rights of EU citizens. Swayne even appeared to
Whether it’s authentic or not, the Conservative party is going green. Following Michael Gove’s reinvention as resident eco-warrior, the party has been pushing green policies – from extending plastic bag charges to saving trees in Sheffield – in a bid to prove they care. Today Gove’s Cabinet colleagues were brought into the fold – each
It’s been an awkward week or so for John Humphrys. The Today programme presenter – who is thought to earn over £600,000 per annum – found himself in the naughty corner when an audio surfaced of Humphrys appearing to make light of his colleague Carrie Gracie’s decision to stand down as China editor over ‘pay discrimination’.
Ever since Gavin Williamson was appointed Defence Secretary, there has been a briefing war between the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury over defence spending. Keen to prove his defence credentials, Williamson – or Private Pike as the Chancellor’s allies prefer to refer to him – has hardly discouraged backbench MPs from kicking up a
Here we go again. The results of the latest election for Labour’s National Executive Committee are in and it’s a clear run for Momentum. The three members selected are all Momentum candidates: Jon Lansman, Yasmine Dar and Rachel Garnham. Alas, not everyone is a winner. Or more precisely, Eddie Izzard is not a winner. The comedian-turned-aspiring-politician
When you pay £8 for fish and chips, where does the money go? That’s the question one restaurant has been busy answering after a customer left a two-star review on Facebook. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the food – in fact it was ‘lovely’ and the staff were ‘amazing’. But Debbie Davies still
The return of Esther McVey to the Cabinet is bad news for John McDonnell and Labour’s claim of a kinder, gentler politics. It has led many hacks and broadcasters to return to remarks he made about ‘lynching’ McVey, at a Remembrance Sunday event back in 2014. But when they do so, Labour complain. The shadow
Here we go. As of Monday, the Guardian is a tabloid – in the physical sense anyway. The paper’s editor Katharine Viner has revealed the new look paper online – complete with masthead: https://twitter.com/KathViner/status/952647642517049344 RIP Berliner…
Since joining Parliament in the snap election, the Labour MP created a media-storm last year when she declared that she would not be friends with a Tory. Happily, Jeremy Corbyn sees no issues with such a stance and has just promoted Pidcock – appointing her Shadow Minister for Labour. Only it’s a bit complicated. Just a
This week’s Cabinet reshuffle proved underwhelming on the whole but for one man, it marked a great change in fortune. Philip Hammond remained in post as Chancellor – something that seemed rather unlikely during the snap election campaign when Theresa May was plotting to sack him in a revenge reshuffle. So, it’s little wonder that
This week Question Time moved to Islington. David Dimbleby chaired a panel comprised of Dominic Raab, Labour’s Dawn Butler, Gina Miller, comedian Nish Kumar and Piers Morgan. However much of time was spent discussing Toby Young, who resigned from the Office for Students this week. With various derogatory comments made about Young, it fell to an
The news that Chris Williamson has resigned from the Labour front bench has been met with dismay by Conservative MPs who quite enjoyed his calls to double council tax on some of the highest-value properties. However, fear not, Williamson will continue to play a pivotal role in Corbyn’s Labour. In an interview with Corbynista site Skwawkbox
Breaking news in today’s Evening Standard. George Osborne has splashed on the revelation that Peter Stringfellow – the nightclub owner – has ditched the Conservatives in protest over its stance on Brexit. Stringfellow – who often attends the Tories’ black and white ball – says he is quitting the Tories ‘unless they change their direction
This week, Theresa May’s Cabinet reshuffle proved rather underwhelming. In some quarters, the Prime Minister’s decision to not promote or move any of the big beasts in her Cabinet has been seen as a tactical move so as not to fuel speculation over her eventual successor. That plan may have backfired. Mr S was curious to