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
The Tories have continued their habit of making a big election pledge at 10:30 p.m every weekend. Last time, it was the reintroduction of national service; this week it is their plans to overhaul the Equality Act. Yes, that’s right, after 14 years in government, the Conservatives have finally decided that it might be worth
Oh dear. It seems that Diane Abbott has outmanoeuvred Keir Starmer once again. Week one of Labour’s much-vaunted election campaign has been overshadowed by the row over the status of the Hackney North MP. Having lost the Labour whip in April 2023 for her ill-judged Observer letter, Abbott’s status was still unresolved when the campaign
It seems barely five minutes ago that Mr S was writing up the last exchange between Camilla Tominey and a Labour frontbencher on their plans to put VAT on independent school fees. Back in January, it was Bridget Phillipson, the Shadow Education Secretary, who scored an ‘F’ for her failure to answer Tominey’s questions. Today
The Diane Abbott saga rumbles on. After questions over whether the former shadow home secretary would be allowed to stand as a Labour candidate in the election dominated the news agenda this week, Keir Starmer sought to end the media circus on Friday by declaring that the Corbyn ally was ‘free to go forward as
Oh dear. In yet another campaign blunder for Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader has been forced to fess up to using a private jet — just hours after taunting Rishi Sunak’s helicopter use. Rules for thee but not for me… The lefty Labour leader flew to Scotland on a private plane to make an
Uh oh. It’s the first day of Labour’s official GB Energy launch and things haven’t quite got off to a flying start. Sir Keir Starmer is in Scotland this morning to announce plans (including an all-new the website and logo) for his brand new publicly-owned Great British energy company. It’s the third of Labour’s ‘first
Oh dear. Less than 48 hours after he quit LBC to stand for Tunbridge Wells, Iain Dale has now ruled himself out. In an interview with his former employer this morning, Dale revealed that he had asked for his name to not be included on the candidates’ shortlist after a clip of him disparaging his
Another day, another defection. This time it’s Mark Logan, now former Conservative MP for Bolton North East, who has announced he will be backing Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party at the general election. It’s yet another blow for poor Rishi Sunak who is already facing an exodus of 78 MPs while the Tories remain 20
Oh dear. It was only a matter of time before the issue of Partygate came up on the campaign trail and today the Prime Minister was forced to face up to it. On his trip to Buckinghamshire, the first question asked of Rishi Sunak centred on the pandemic, the government-enforced lockdown and the rule-breaking in
Another day, another confusing twist in Labour’s stance on Diane Abbott. The ongoing saga has created significant disquiet over the last 48 hours, with Labour’s confusing messaging on the whole thing proving a rather effective distraction from Sir Keir Starmer’s party policies. It’s hardly the best way to kick off your election campaign… First we
Oh dear. No one party appears to be enjoying an especially slick campaign at present, but north of the border the SNP seems particularly down on its luck. As Mr S noted on Monday, the Nats are not exactly swimming in cash at the moment — the party is struggling to bring donations in while
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again. That appears to be Paul Waugh’s guiding mantra anyway, after the former chief political commentator for the i newspaper put himself forward for the Rochdale candidacy for a second time this year. He has now been successful and will stand as Labour’s candidate for the
It wasn’t so very long ago that Sir Keir was hailing the Welsh Labour party as a ‘blueprint’ for what he would do in office. But with Vaughan Gething’s government crumbling by the hour, it is no surprise that Starmer has stopped praising his sister party in such gushing terms. The flailing First Minister of
It is a bad time to be a member of the Socialist Campaign Group. Hours after Mr S revealed that Labour activists in Poplar are urging the party to intervene against Apsana Begum, tonight Lloyd Russell-Moyle has confirmed that he will be blocked from standing again in Brighton Kemptown. The left-winger, a former frontbencher under
It’s a busy day in Labour land, following the mishandling of the Diane Abbott disaster. But now Mr S hears of a fresh row brewing in another of Labour’s London safe seats. In 2019, the Corbynite candidate Apsana Begum was chosen to replace the moderate Jim Fitzpatrick for the Poplar and Limehouse constituency. Her first
It’s the end of an era for over 70 Tory MPs who will quit their seats at the next election – but one media veteran is making a rather interesting move in the opposite direction. Iain Dale, who has worked at LBC since 2010 and has presented a number of shows including Cross Question and
Sir Keir Starmer has made personal integrity front and centre of his election campaign. When asked about his multiple broken pledges two days ago, the Labour leader declared that ‘I think it’s more important to stand in front of the electorate and say, “I’m sorry, I can’t now afford what I said before”… I’m not
The drama in Westminster never seems to end – and tonight is certainly no exception to that rule. In one of the biggest developments of the week, it transpires that Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour party will not allow veteran MP Diane Abbott to represent the party at the upcoming general election. However, Abbott has reportedly
They think it’s all over – but is that actually the case? After a difficult start to the campaign for the Conservatives, many of their own MPs had privately written off their chances at this election. However a new poll out tonight could force the skeptics to think again, with Labour’s lead down to just
It seems these days that the BBC is doing a better job of creating the news than presenting it. Today’s row is about one of the broadcaster’s stars entering into a spat with Reform’s Nigel Farage — and losing rather spectacularly… The I’m a Celeb finalist was out today helping promote Richard Tice’s party in Dover as he