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
With Scottish Labour now the third biggest party in Scotland following disastrous election results in May, it’s safe to say that its members have seen better times. However, there does appear to be one positive to the beleaguered party’s lagging popularity: it’s never been easier to get involved. Today Scottish Labour have sent out an email to their full
Yesterday the Home Office won its appeal against a landmark ruling that allowed four Syrian refugees living in the main camp in Calais to come to the UK. While the refugees will be allowed to stay, the appeal means that it will be difficult for more refugees to come to Britain this way in the future.
It’s not a good time to be a member of the MSM, aka mainstream media. A quick look at alternative news outlets like the Corbynista Canary will tell you that reports from the MSM are frequently inaccurate. What’s more, the Guardian now appear to have joined the cause. On Monday, the paper published an article by Piers Robinson suggesting Russia
While Ukip won’t announce its leadership shortlist until Wednesday, Bill Etheridge is expected to be one of the names that makes it onto the ballot. Thanks to his hardline policies — which range from a referendum on the death penalty to a ban on halal meat — Etheridge is likely to get plenty of press attention without having to
It’s only Tuesday and Steven Woolfe must already be wishing this week was over. After missing the nomination deadline on Sunday, Woolfe will learn today whether his leadership application will be accepted. If that weren’t enough, he is also in the firing line over his lapsed Ukip membership and the Huffington Post‘s revelation that Woolfe broke electoral rules in
Oh dear. After weeks of bubbling tensions, things have come to a head between Theresa May’s resident cat Larry and Palmerston, the Foreign Office’s chief mouser. The feuding duo — who have been engaged in a turf war for some weeks — got into such a scrap this morning that fur flew and the felines had to be
Although the Tories have recently undergone a leadership election and Labour are in the midst of one, it’s Ukip’s leadership contest that is shaping up to be the most shambolic. While Suzanne Evans was ruled ineligible to stand for leader, the frontrunner in the race — Steven Woolfe — has been dogged by reports that he too is
This week relations between Britain and China were placed under strain after the government delayed approval for the Hinkley Point nuclear plant. Under David Cameron and George Osborne, Britain’s first new nuclear power station — of which China General Nuclear has a one-third stake — had been expected to get the green light this month. However
During Steve Hilton’s time in 10 Downing Street, David Cameron’s former director of strategy’s reputation for ‘modernising’ the Conservative party inspired the creation of PR guru Stewart Pearson in The Thick of It. However, while Brits may now be used to Hilton’s penchant for casual-wear and ‘blue sky thinking’, across the pond it’s a different story. Word reaches Steerpike
It’s been a tumultuous month for Her Majesty’s Government — and that’s just regarding their pets. As well as an ongoing turf war between No 10’s cat Larry and the Foreign Office’s chief mouser Palmerston, there is now a third feline on the scene. The Treasury have today announced that they have fostered their own cat,
Although George Osborne is now on the backbench, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer is keen to make sure that he remains a busy bee. As well as jetting off to New York this week to attend Tina Brown’s Brexit bash, the MP for Tatton is now considering putting pen to paper for a book. However, readers
Oh dear. Owen Smith’s decision to go off piste in his leadership speech today has not worked out all that well. While discussing the need for a stronger opposition than the one currently provided under Jeremy Corbyn, Smith said Labour could not allow Theresa May to claim Labour’s centre ground. Alas he used a rather
It’s a difficult business being Prime Minister. On top of running the country, they are regularly open to criticism from those they admire. Mention a band and there’s every chance the lead singer will blast you for austerity policies in the next day’s paper. Today Theresa May has felt the heat from one of her favourite designers.
It’s less than a month since Andrea Leadsom bowed out of the Conservative leadership contest, leading to Theresa May’s appointment as Prime Minister. Now Leadsom’s campaign manager Tim Loughton had given an interview to the Times in which he conducts a post-mortem on the failed bid. While the Conservative MP for East Worthing and Shoreham is
Although George Osborne was passed over for the role of Foreign Secretary in Theresa May’s Cabinet reshuffle, the MP for Tatton is still keen to show that he can fly the flag for Brexit Britain. It follows that the former Chancellor of the Exchequer is set to be guest of honour at Tina Brown’s Brexit bash
In last month’s EU referendum, pundits and politicians were left surprised when Brexit triumphed with 52 per cent of the vote. Since then not everyone has taken the outcome lying down. While the SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon is adamant that Scotland should not have to leave the EU, a number of Remain-ers in England — including David Lammy
Claws out, it’s all kicking off in Downing Street. After a month of drastic change and bubbling tensions among Westminster’s big beasts, things have started to turn violent. However, rather than May vs Osborne, it’s the government’s two top cats who can’t seem to keep a lid on it. When David Cameron moved out of No.10, he
Today Jeremy Corbyn has launched his campaign ahead of the Labour leadership election. Corbyn, who is being challenged by Owen Smith, used the launch to announce that — under him — the next Labour government would introduce compulsory pay audits for companies with more than 21 staff — in order to show whether or not they are discriminating against
With Owen Smith now Jeremy Corbyn’s official challenger in the leadership election, the pair will spend the summer campaigning ahead of the September vote. Thankfully Corbyn has a shiny new leadership website titled ‘Jeremy4Leader’ to help him do exactly this. However, judging by the main photo one could be forgiven for thinking it was a
After Jeremy Corbyn faced a vote of no confidence from Labour MPs over his lacklustre effort in the failed Remain campaign, a leadership contest is now underway. Corbyn and his challenger Owen Smith will spend the summer campaigning against one another for the leadership. However, in order to have a vote supporters only have until 5pm
