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 tough up north. Just ask Andy Burnham. The class warrior has today kicked off his Manchester mayoral campaign with some ‘home truths’ about what it is like to grow up in the north. Burnham says that if you live in the north and consider becoming a doctor, people will laugh at you: ‘It’s hard
Labour’s high command are not showing themselves to be the most statesman-like of figures today. After Jeremy Corbyn was caught on camera ignoring David Cameron’s attempts at conversation, his shadow Defence Secretary struggled to control herself in today’s Queen’s Speech debate. Emily Thornberry took offence after Cameron described her as a ‘shadow defence secretary who
Last year the Beast of Bolsover failed to make his annual contribution to the Queen’s Speech after he found himself preoccupied battling the SNP for his favourite seat. With that fight now won, Dennis Skinner was able to return to form today. As Black Rod summoned MPs in the House of Commons to hear the Queen’s
Today’s Queen’s Speech was always going to be a difficult event for the Prime Minister. With the EU referendum looming, David Cameron needed to give the impression that his party remains united and focussed on the good of the country. Still, Mr S suspects he didn’t bargain on the walk to hear the Queen’s speech proving
When the SNP 56 were elected to Parliament, they were heralded as a breath of fresh air in an otherwise archaic institution. The nationalists made clear that they were unhappy to be moved to Westminster, let alone indulge in its pleasures. Despite this, they appear to have grown accustomed to their surroundings over time, with reports surfacing of their taste
Although it was already evident to many that relations in the Tory party are far from rosy thanks to the upcoming EU referendum, it seems tensions are higher than anyone first anticipated. In today’s edition of The Times, Rachel Sylvester’s column — titled ‘The Tories need a new breed of modernisers’ — includes a curious
Oh dear. While Mr S is not himself immune to the pitfalls of journalism in the digital age, today’s Times Red Box email really does take the biscuit. Although today’s morning briefing promised an exclusive poll proving that Corbyn is going nowhere, a lot of subscribers received something quite different: Fear not, however. If you fell victim
Last month Oxford’s Rhodes Must Fall co-founder Ntokozo Qwabe made the news after he revelled in making a waitress shed ‘white tears‘ at a restaurant in Cape Town. The incident occurred after his friend wrote a note to the waitress explaining they would only tip her when she ‘returned the land’. Since then, a crowdfunder has been
Just over a year ago, Ed Miliband had the world at his feet. The MP for Doncaster North was one of the most powerful men in the country — hoping to lead Labour to victory in the General Election. One lost election later and a lot has changed for Red Ed. Now a backbencher, Miliband doesn’t appear
In Timothy Garton Ash’s new book Free Speech: Ten Principles for a Connected World, the historian examines present challenges and threats to free speech. However, it’s the book’s final chapter — titled ‘Courage’ — which is of the most intrigue to Mr S. In the May issue of the Literary Review, Douglas Murray reviews the book.
Is there something in the water at City Hall? Mr S only asks after Boris Johnson became the second former Mayor of London to bring up Hitler in the space of three weeks. The Brexit champion claimed in the Sunday Telegraph that both the Nazi leader and Napoleon had failed at unification and the EU was
Today Alan Rusbridger has announced that he will not return as chairman of the Scott Trust. The decision comes after his successor Katharine Viner let it be known that she was opposed to him returning to the role. With leading figures on the paper turning on the once invincible Rusbridger over the company’s £80m losses in
So far in the Brexit debate, a range of figures — from David Cameron to David Icke — have chipped in to offer their two cents’ worth. However, no-one was expecting the latest literary figure to enter the discussion. In this week’s TLS, a talk by the late Vladimir Nabokov — given in 1926 — has been translated
Throughout the EU referendum campaign, Labour figures have been somewhat underwhelmed by the efforts of their party leader to fight for Britain to remain in the EU. However, progress did appear to be made on Monday when Jeremy Corbyn launched Labour’s big EU battle bus. The bright red bus will tour Britain for six weeks as they try and
Mr S always enjoys reading Danny Finkelstein’s column (even when he borrows jokes from Steerpike) and Wednesday’s column was no exception. In the piece — titled ‘the most reliable polls are at the end of a phone’ — Finkelstein highlights the difficulties pollsters experience, arguing that contrary to popular opinion they do often get it right. But why write a column
Although Jeremy Corbyn did his best to press David Cameron on a range of issues at today’s PMQs, perhaps the most notable aspect of his performance was what he didn’t say. A number of commentators were surprised that the Labour leader did not ask Cameron to apologise for the extremism remarks he made about Sadiq
Steerpike’s revelation yesterday that Emma Watson has been named in the latest Panama Papers leak has been followed up across the world — even inspiring a new genre of Harry Potter fan-fiction. While the Telegraph, the Independent, the Sun and the Times all followed up Mr S’s story in the UK, across the pond USA Today, New York Post
Oh dear. David Cameron’s done it again. It seems the Prime Minister can’t quite master the art of checking whether there are any cameras recording before he makes an indiscreet comment. Reuters report that Cameron has been caught on camera telling the Queen that the leaders of some ‘fantastically corrupt’ like Nigeria and Afghanistan will attend his anti-corruption
Of late, Emma Watson has been taking a more active role in both UK and American politics. The Harry Potter actress recently attended the White House correspondents’ dinner, and just yesterday called on London’s new mayor Sadiq Khan to put a statue of a suffragette outside Parliament. However, should she wish to continue to move in political circles, Watson
Theresa May’s Investigatory Powers Bill is proving to be one of the most unpopular pieces of proposed legislation in this Parliament. While the Home Secretary has described the bill — which is currently in the committee stage — as ‘world leading’, a new campaign against it claims that all it will do is inspire dictators.