Steerpike

Steerpike

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

Steerpike

Trousergate designer: Nicky Morgan broke my heart

Relations between Theresa May and Nicky Morgan took a turn for the worse last year after the former education secretary criticised the Prime Minister for wearing a £995 pair of trousers while claiming that she wanted to help those who are ‘just about managing’. While the pair have since made — uneasy — peace, the woman

The Corbyn effect | 11 February 2017

Last month, Tim Farron ruled out any electoral pact between the Liberal Democrats and Labour — branding Jeremy Corbyn ‘toxic’. With Labour mourning the loss of over 7,000 members in January, it seems Farron may be on to something. In contrast to Labour, the Liberal Democrats were buoyed by 4,000 new members last month. And just how

Watch: BBC gives John Bercow a lesson in virtue signalling

Yesterday James Duddridge, the Tory backbencher, tabled a motion of no confidence in the Speaker. It comes after John Bercow took the government by surprise on Monday by declaring that President Trump was not welcome to address Parliament on his upcoming state visit. Given that Trump had expressed no desire to do so and several world leaders with

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Richard Burgon to the rescue

With Labour lagging behind the Tories in the polls and the party divided over Brexit, there has been much speculation of late over Jeremy Corbyn’s future as Labour leader. While Clive Lewis is rumoured to be considering a leadership challenge, Corbyn appeared to pave the way for a more Corbyn-friendly successor yesterday when he appointed Rebecca Long-Bailey as

Corbyn’s war with the BBC rages on

There’s little love lost between the BBC and the Leader’s Office. Jeremy Corbyn’s team have regularly accused the Beeb of anti-Corbyn bias, with the BBC trust recently concluding that its political editor Laura Kuenssberg inaccurately reported the Labour leader’s views about shoot-to-kill policies in the aftermath of the terror attacks in Paris. Today, the battle took

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Diane Abbott spurns David Davis in Strangers’ Bar

After the government’s Brexit Bill passed through the Commons unamended, whips, government ministers and Brexiteers were in the mood to celebrate. Alas, not everyone was on the same page. Although Diane Abbott was well enough to vote for Article 50 today, the shadow home secretary is far from happy about the government’s plans for a ‘Tory Brexit’. So, it was unfortunate timing

Knives out for Bercow

This week John Bercow was accused of double standards after he announced that he would not allow President Trump to address both Houses of Parliament. Putting aside the times world leaders with questionable human rights records have (a) addressed the House, and (b) shared tea with the Speaker, Bercow said Trump’s policies meant he was unworthy of

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George Osborne continues to cash in from the backbench

Another month, another declaration of extra-income from the former Chancellor of the Exchequer. According to the latest register of interests, George Osborne brought in over £90,000 last month for just five hours work. This means that Osborne managed to out earn his annual MP’s salary of £74,962 in less than a day. Mr S praises the

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No 10’s secret weapon

On Tuesday, the Daily Politics aired a segment lifting the lid on the staff in No 10. Among the power players featured were the Prime Minister’s chiefs of staff Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill, her press secretary Lizzie Loudon and a man by the name of… Philip May. ‘One more activist seen working at CCHQ made his

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Glenda Jackson bemoans Labour’s losing streak

How times have changed. When Jeremy Corbyn first entered the Labour leadership race in the summer of 2015, Glenda Jackson — the former MP for Hampstead and Kilburn — wrote to him saying her only regret of not standing at the last election was that it meant she was unable to nominate him for the leadership. Has

Hard Brexiteers are like jihadis, says Tory MP

As the committee stage of the government’s Brexit bill rolls on, MPs have been debating a range of amendments. Signalling that she could back an amendment on parliamentary sovereignty, Claire Perry – a former transport minister defenestrated in Theresa May’s purge of the Osbornites – said that she had been left disappointed by the attitude of some

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Mary Cameron gives Corbyn a fashion critique

It was a family affair at this year’s Oldie of the Year awards. The magazine’s new editor-in-chief Harry Mount — who paid tribute to his predecessor, the great Alexander Chancellor — was joined by his second cousin, David Cameron. The former prime minister told hacks at the reception how much he missed Larry, the No

Watch: Theresa May puts Lady Nugee in her place

This afternoon, Theresa May appeared in the Commons to update MPs on her trip to Malta for the EU summit. One of the topics brought up in the session was the UK’s attitude to Russia — and the threat from Putin to Europe. The Prime Minister went on to explain that concerns had been raised at the

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Diane Abbott makes a speedy recovery

It’s a miracle. After coming down with a migraine at the exact time of the Article 50 vote last week, Diane Abbott was accused of having a case of ‘Brexit flu’ and ‘bottling’ the vote. However, worried colleagues and supporters can today breathe a collective sigh of relief that the shadow home secretary has made

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Tory MP does Labour’s bidding on the economy

It’s not been a great few days for Daniel Kawczynski. First the Tory MP had to cancel a controversial Commons reception featuring Putin’s Kremlin spin doctor Maria Zakharova. Now he is struggling to stay on-message when it comes to his party’s position on the economy. Over the weekend Kawczynski took to social media to warn of the

Caroline Flint puts the boot in over Diane Abbott’s ‘Brexit flu’

After Diane Abbott missed the Article 50 vote thanks to ‘a migraine’, her comrade John Mann accused the shadow home secretary of ‘bottling it’ over Brexit. Since then, a #PrayForDiane email has been doing the rounds among Labour MPs. In a further sign that Abbott’s claims of suffering are not being taken entirely seriously by her party, Caroline Flint has

Owen Jones: I’d find it hard to vote for Corbyn

Oh dear. Earlier this week, Mr S reported that Derek Hatton — the ‘socialist firebrand’ who joined Labour with the Trotskyist group Militant (before being expelled) — had turned on Jeremy Corbyn. The former Corbynite said the Labour leader’s Article 50 stance showed ‘a real lack of leadership’. In a further sign that Corbyn is losing

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Wanted: good press for Diane Abbott

As Diane Abbott continues to receive flak today for missing the Article 50 vote thanks to ‘a migraine’ (with #PrayForDiane doing the rounds among Labour MPs), the shadow home secretary is in need of some good press. Alas, with Abbott ducking questions from an ITV reporter last night, she doesn’t appear to be keen on mending press