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
It’s approaching D-Day for the government’s public consultation on press regulation and whether to trigger Leveson 2 with just hours to go until the deadline for submissions. Should the government decide to activate section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act, any publication not signed up to Impress — the press regulator largely funded by
Since Netflix released The Crown, the network has received much praise for its dramatisation of the Queen’s early years. In fact, the critical acclaim has led some screenwriters to declare that they would now rather write for Netflix than the BBC. Happily, last night’s Golden Globe awards gave cause for celebration to both parties. While the
In the past week, a report predicted Labour will win less than 20pc of the vote in the 2020 election, Britain’s ambassador to the EU resigned over Brexit ‘muddled thinking’ and the Red Cross claimed there is a ‘humanitarian crisis’ in UK hospitals. So, surely Labour’s top command have much to talk about? Alas not. It turns out
It’s tradition that the Prime Minister kicks off the new year by giving a broadcast interview to the Andrew Marr show. However, this year Theresa May has decided to mix things up and snub the BBC in favour of Sky News. On Sunday, May will instead be interviewed by Sophy Ridge to kickstart Ridge’s new morning show: Very excited
With Labour predicted to win as little as 20pc of the vote in the 2020 election, there’s been little cause for celebration in the Leader’s Office this week. However, should you be a glutton for punishment, an opportunity has arisen to join the beleaguered party as its ‘deputy director’ of Strategy and Communications: The lucky candidate will
This time last year, Barry Humphries revealed how political correctness had killed comedy at the BBC. His plan to tell a joke about Jeremy Corbyn hit a wall when a faceless BBC executive said he could only do so if he also made a joke about David Cameron. So, Mr S can’t help but wonder
After Sir Ivan Rogers unexpectedly resigned as Britain’s ambassador to the EU on Tuesday, it’s safe to say that the diplomat is not the flavour of the month in Downing Street. In fact, given that his resignation letter appeared to take swipes at both Theresa May and Liam Fox over their Brexit approach, it’s probably for
As No.10 reels from Ivan Rogers’ resignation letter in which he accuses Theresa May’s government of ‘muddled thinking’, Liam Fox has found himself in the firing line. Britain’s departing ambassador to the EU has taken aim at the International Trade secretary — declaring that ‘free trade does not just happen’. Alas should Fox have some
Anyone reading the news of late would be forgiven for thinking that Labour is far from election ready. In fact, the party’s poor polling led Unite’s Len McCluskey — a key Jeremy Corbyn ally — to yesterday declare that if the polls are ‘still awful’ come 2019, Corbyn could have to stand down. However, fear not. It turns out
During the Scottish independence referendum, BBC Scotland was regularly accused of showing bias against the SNP. The Beeb’s supposed pro-Union slant led Alex Salmond to brand its coverage ‘a disgrace’. However, now it seems brains at the BBC are keen to get the Nats back on side. Donalda MacKinnon, BBC Scotland’s new director, has given an exclusive interview
On Thursday, Barack Obama announced the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats in retaliation for Russian attempts to interfere with the US presidential election. While Theresa May is yet to comment on the unfolding events, the SNP are proving more forthcoming. Paul Monaghan, the MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, has taken to Twitter to say the decision
This week, Theresa May’s sincerity was called into question when party members — including Ed Vaizey — received a Christmas greeting from the Prime Minister in which they were addressed by their surname. With brains at CCHQ quick to clock the problem, Alan Mabbutt — the Director General of the Conservatives — has sent out an
Oh dear. Since David Cameron stepped down as Prime Minister, his university chum Ed Vaizey has had to get used to life on the outside. After he was axed as culture minister, Vaizey admitted he didn’t have a close relationship with Theresa May and was no longer able to ‘pick up the phone and get an answer’ from No.10.
During the EU referendum, the Sun ran a front page with the headline ‘the Queen backs Brexit’. The paper reported that the Queen clashed with Nick Clegg, who was then Deputy Prime Minister, over Europe at a lunch in 2011 — at which she declared the EU was ‘heading in the wrong direction’. In the days and weeks
Following Fidel Castro’s death, the BBC were accused of giving too much airtime to tributes to the Cuban dictator. When it came to print, BBC News described him as ‘one of the world’s longest-serving and most iconic leaders’ only mentioning in the fourth paragraph that ‘critics saw him as a dictator’. So, Mr S was curious to learn
As Richard Burgon goes on the attack over G4S prisons following the Birmingham prison riot, the shadow justice secretary was caused some embarrassment yesterday when it was revealed that he had recently accepted hospitality from the firm. Guido reports that Burgon attended a G4S bash with an unnamed female companion at the Southbank Centre in November
Ahead of the Autumn Statement, there were reports that Theresa May was concerned that Philip Hammond was not doing enough to help the ‘just about managing’ families — aka JAMs. While he did oblige with a fuel duty freeze, May’s government has since faced questions over its commitment to the JAMs — with matters not helped by
As part of Sadiq Khan’s ongoing efforts to prove London is ‘united and open for business, and to the world’ in the aftermath of the Brexit vote, the Mayor of London has released a series of videos of late to try to get the message across. In one such film, David Walliams narrates as a host
Even when Ed Miliband was Labour leader, it was his brother who made the greatest impression across the pond. While Hillary Clinton waxed lyrical about David Miliband, Ed was never able to make waves in America. So, there’s good news at last for the former Labour leader. Miliband won a primetime spot during a news
When news spread last week that Philip Davies had been elected onto the women and equalities committee, there was an outcry from several female Parliamentarians. Concerned that Davies was more interested in men’s rights than women’s, Caroline Lucas brought up that he was an ‘anglo-saxon white male’ by way of objection. While Davies has since said he hopes