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
Since the EU referendum result led to David Cameron’s resignation, the former Prime Minister’s friendship groups have experienced a change of fortune. While the Chipping Norton set have simply found themselves cut out, over in Notting Hill they are turning on one another. In fact, things have got so bad that Cameron’s friends are no
Emily Thornberry put in a memorable performance on Question Time last night. Unfortunately for the shadow foreign secretary, it was an appearance that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Thornberry was heckled after sucking up to Corbyn, and she managed to make the audience groan when she claimed what united Labour was ‘so
Oh dear. Spare a thought for the brains over at BBC Breakfast today. As the presenters told viewers that they would be speaking to Nicola Sturgeon, video footage of a psycho gorilla flashed up on the screen. This meant Auntie had to issue a hasty apology — clarifying that they were not suggesting Sturgeon was the
Since stepping down as the economics editor of Channel 4 News, Paul Mason has become a key cheerleader for Jeremy Corbyn. Mason has used media appearances — along with his social media — to campaign for the Labour leader and call out MPs who fail to show Corbyn sufficient loyalty. So, Mason today finds himself
With Seumas Milne on the way out as Jeremy Corbyn’s director of communications, he is widely expected to return to the Grauniad. The columnist and associate editor has been ‘on leave’ from the paper since he moved to the Leader’s Office last October. However, Mr S hears there is a slight hiccup delaying his much anticipated
Since the — fast depleting — SNP 56 descended on Parliament last year, there have been a number of incidents — from clapping in the Chamber to trespassing through the Chancellor’s office — that suggest the majority are not taking to Westminster etiquette like ducks to water. However, could it be one of the SNP’s longest standing MPs who
Well that didn’t last long. Just minutes after Jeremy Corbyn completed a fairly successful turn at PMQs, his spokesman plunged Labour into another row over Russia’s behaviour in Syria. Following the Foreign Secretary’s call for the public to protest outside the Russian embassy, Corbyn’s spokesman thinks they might as well head to the American embassy
Although little was agreed upon in yesterday’s debate on Aleppo with regards to a no-fly zone, one thing the Foreign Secretary did suggest was that the public stage mass protests outside the Russian embassy. What’s more, Boris Johnson queried just why the Stop the War coalition had failed to do this as of yet. So, why has the anti-war group
Mr S has an apology to make. On Monday, Steerpike suggested that the news that Paul Weller — a man who wanted to vote for Russell Brand in the last general election — had endorsed Jeremy Corbyn wasn’t such a coup given that Labour need to convince Tory voters of his electability in order to have any chance of
With the latest ICM poll putting the Tories on a 17-point lead over Labour, it seems as though Jeremy Corbyn’s beleaguered party are in a bit of a jam. But fret not — they have a plan. Today Momentum have released details of its new initiative ‘Concerts for Corbyn’. The plan is to inspire the nation
On Sunday, Shami Chakrabarti was forced to use an appearance on Peston on Sunday to claim that she was not a hypocrite after the topic of grammar schools was raised. The issue? Although the shadow attorney general is vocal in her opposition to selective education in the state, she sent her own son to a
Oh dear. After the Guardian ran a story claiming Jeremy Corbyn was unable to find a seat on a Virgin train journey, a media storm shortly ensued when the train company responded by releasing CCTV footage to the contrary. Since then, it’s been revealed that the freelancer behind the story was actually a campaigning Corbynista who wasn’t
It’s been a difficult week for Amber Rudd. After the Home Secretary used her speech at Conservative conference to call for companies to declare the number of non-British workers they employ, Rudd found herself in the firing line — with one presenter even comparing the speech to Hitler’s Mein Kampf. Now, her brother has joined the
As Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet reshuffle rattles on, it seems all that power is going to his head. The Labour leader has taken to Twitter to congratulate himself on appointing Diane Abbott and Emily Thornberry to the roles of shadow home secretary and shadow foreign secretary. Corbyn concludes that he is ‘proud’ that two of the three
It’s not been a great conference for the Cameroons. After George Osborne and Michael Gove decided to give the event a miss, Nicky Morgan was left alone to face the flak as the whips kept a close eye on her at fringe events. Now it seems the Chipping Norton set has, too, been left in
After four days of speeches and panels at Tory conference, there is now at least a little consensus over what Brexit means Brexit means and much concern over the quality of Philip Hammond’s jokes. However, while a number of conference speeches proved dry, Mr S is glad to report that the after hours soirees were free-flowing. At the
Brexit means Brexit. But for some, remembering that definition can be a challenge. For Welsh Tory leader Andrew Davies, it seems Brexit means something else altogether. Davies took to the stage at the Conservative party conference and proudly declared that: ‘Mark my words, we will make breakfast..Brexit a success’ Davies said after his gaffe that he
At this year’s Labour conference, the absence of several centrist MPs at the annual event was taken as a sign that the party was far from a united one. So, what about the Conservatives? It hasn’t gone unnoticed that the majority of the once omnipotent Notting Hill set have stayed away from Tory conference in
Jacob Rees-Mogg has been looking mightily pleased with himself at this year’s Conservative party conference. After the arch-Brexiteer spent years calling for Britain to leave the European Union, his wish was finally granted in June. However, he sill has work to do when it comes to convincing Remain-ers that Brexit will be a good thing. At a Politeia fringe event,
Spare a thought for Rachel Johnson. After the Mail on Sunday columnist was invited to speak on gender equality at this year’s Tory conference as part of a Bright Blue debate, she thought that with her brothers — Boris and Jo — and father Stanley in town, it wasn’t entirely out of question that one
