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
Following the disappointing snap election result, Theresa May has had to relax her approach to government – gone are the days when Cabinet members are kept off the airwaves. As a result of the new regime, lobby hacks today finally had a member of the government speak at a press gallery lunch. Doing the honours was David Gauke, the
In case you missed the memo, yesterday was officially the ‘day of rage’. Hard-left activists took to the streets, vowing to ‘bring down the government’. Although protesters’ claimed that they were seeking justice for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire, this was dismissed by a charity representing those effected; ‘they do not want their grief hijacked
Oh dear. Although Theresa May has managed to make it through the Queen’s Speech today, the real test will come next week when MPs vote on it. With the Prime Minister’s authority already weak, talk has turned to who will be her eventual successor. So, it was a helpful coincidence that the frontrunner to be
Yesterday Mark Carney – who hates it when politicians say anything about him – had a pop at Boris Johnson, ridiculing his optimistic approach to Brexit as seeking “cake and consumption”. Set aside the impropriety of the Bank of England governor making such a political swipe, Brexit was a deep psychological blow for people like
Although a Queen’s Speech tends to be a joyful occasion for the government in power, today’s has been rather sombre for the Conservatives. Theresa Mays legislative plan for government is rather sparse now that she has binned the majority of the 2017 Tory manifesto. Happily, Kwasi Kwarteng was on hand to cheer downcast MPs in
Dennis Skinner is no fan of the Monarchy. But he used his traditional quip at today’s Queen Speech to try and do Her Majesty a big favour. The rescheduling of the speech – which had been due to take place on Monday – has made things tricky for the Queen to make it to one
The new BBC documentary Brexit Means Brexit: The Unofficial Version lifts the lid on what has gone on behind the scenes since EU referendum result last year. While a host of Westminster stalwarts – including Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Anna Soubry – have contributed to the programme, it’s Alan Duncan’s appearance that has caught Mr
Poor old Ed Miliband. The former Labour leader was once convinced he was destined for Downing Street. Now, he’s hosting discussions about toilets on Radio 2. Standing in for Jeremy Vine, Miliband introduced music, chatted politics – and talked to guests about what types of loos they have. The Labour MP even asked one guest to flush their WC to hear
There was a time when progressives thought that politics had become too much of an old boys’ club. In the place of ageing male politicians, liberals called for more women and ethnic diversity in politics. However, times are a’changing. After Jeremy Corbyn defied all expectations in the snap election by hoovering up 40 per cent of the vote,
Although it’s been said that revenge is a dish best served cold, George Osborne seems to take the approach that it is best served daily. Since the former Chancellor left politics to edit the Evening Standard, he has taken great joy in making Theresa May’s day a little bit worse with each issue. Today is
As formal Brexit negotiations between the UK and EU begin today, there remains much confusion over what Britain’s Brexit strategy actually is. Philip Hammond confused matters further on Sunday when he appeared to undermine the Prime Minister – saying no deal is a very bad option indeed. So, what should the strategy be? Speaking on
In this week’s issue of The Spectator, Nick Timothy writes exclusively about why the Tory campaign was a failure. Theresa May’s former chief of staff says that nobody in CCHQ was prepared for the exit poll which predicted a hung Parliament. He recounts how Lynton Crosby said the party would ‘do well’ while Jim Messina’s modelling
Oh dear. Although Conservative MPs are supposed to be rallying around their beleaguered leader as Theresa May attempts to form a minority government, not everyone has received the memo. Step forward Tim Loughton. The Conservative MP – who ran Andrea Leadsom’s short-lived leadership campaign – has taken to social media to vent his frustration that the
Parliament is back – but already some MPs are bored. One Tory backbencher was snapped glancing at his phone during the opening session in the Commons this afternoon. Yet the picture of the MP watching a clip on his mobile – which was tweeted out by Anna Soubry – raised a bigger question: what on
Although Theresa May’s premiership is now looking anything but strong and stable, the Prime Minister will be pleased to learn that one MP at least is still sticking to the script. After we learnt this morning that the Queen’s Speech may be delayed as the Government tries desperately to thrash out a deal with the DUP,
After a dire election performance and the departure of its fourth leader in less than a year, Ukip is in desperate need of a saviour. Step forward David Coburn. The Ukip MEP – who once said running the party would be like ‘herding cats’ – announced this morning that he was planning to make a
George Osborne has been enjoying himself in the last few days – no more so than on the sofa of the Andrew Marr show this morning. The former Chancellor, who was sacked by Theresa May, revealed for the first time the PM’s parting words to him when she gave him the boot: ‘She said I
Jeremy Corbyn may have lost the election, but in many peoples’ eyes he’s still the big winner. After the Labour leader surprised pollsters and pundits alike by securing over 40pc of the vote, Corbyn’s position looks more secure than ever. Over the weekend, Mr S understands Corbyn took a well-deserved break from politics and headed to
So farewell, Nick and Fi. As Theresa May’s once formidable co-chiefs of staff walk out of No 10 for good following the disastrous election result, the Prime Minister has appointed Gavin Barwell as their replacement. If Barwell sounds familiar, that’s because he is the former housing minister who lost his seat in Croydon Central on Thursday.
When the Prime Minister called the general election, Katie Perrior stood down as No. 10 communications chief. An odd decision: why walk away from such a prestigious job after only nine months? She has never really explained: until now. Writing in the Times, she reveals that her ‘painful’ time in No. 10 was made all the
