Steerpike

Ello, 'ello, 'ello, what's goin' on 'ere, then? Boris Johnson might have shrugged off partygate but Sir Keir Starmer is not so lucky. The investigation by Durham police into whether the Labour leader and his deputy broke lockdown restrictions in April 2021 is still ongoing, with no end date yet announced. Sir Keir has pledged to quit if he is fined; that curry could yet become the most expensive takeaway of his life... One intriguing detail about the fateful night in question was the presence of a protection team from the Metropolitan police. The Sun reported that Met bodyguards accompanied the Labour leader on the Durham trip, as part of his efforts during the Hartlepool by-election campaign.

There's a spectre haunting Westminster: the spectre of Steve Bray. Steerpike envies those readers unfamiliar with the loud-mouthed protester, who has spent much of the past four years making life miserable for those who work in the House of Commons. Bray, known to many as 'Stop Brexit' man, spends a lot of his time disrupting interviews, shouting at parliament and heckling MPs and their staff. He and his supporters sometimes film the reactions of Tories they berate for social media, with past victims including backbenchers Lee Anderson and Paul Bristow. At least one parliamentary assistant has publicly confronted him in the street. Now though, it seems that Commons bosses have finally had enough.

Like many Londoners, Mr S was baffled to see our beloved mayor cavorting around America last month. As crime in the capital continued to soar, Sadiq Khan found time for a four-day jaunt across the States, in which time London suffered a murder and an eight-man mass brawl at Selfridges. The highlight of Khan's trip appeared to be the right-on Labour man announcing a plan to move towards decriminalising cannabis, even though he, er, has no power to do so. So how much did this joint venture cost the taxpayer? Well, Steerpike's Freedom of Information request has finally got a reply and it turns out that more than £34,000 was spent on the nine-man delegation.

Just what is it with New Yorkers and London? Normally Steerpike's ire for the Big Apple is reserved for the city's 'flagship' newspaper, the New York Times, whose view of Merrie England post-Brexit resembles something of a North Korean-style dystopia, without the hope. But now another leading liberal outlet has done a disservice for 'the city that never sleeps' with its reporting of a landmark UK event. Step forward the New Yorker magazine, which yesterday printed a bizarre take on the celebrations of the past week titled 'Racism outshines Platinum Jubilee'.

Carrie Johnson hasn’t been seen much around Westminster recently, as her embattled husband tries to rescue his flailing premiership. But last weekend, the couple dressed up in their finery to mark the Platinum Jubilee. While the pair faced a, er, mixed reaction when they appeared at the thanksgiving service at St Paul’s, it seems that Carrie’s Labour red outfit won her one fan at least.  For underneath a picture of the Johnsons on Instagram, another famous wife voiced her approval. Rebekah Vardy – partner of footballer Jamie and currently embroiled in the ‘Wagatha Christie trial’ – posted on Carrie’s account: 'You look stunning Carrie’ replete with a heart and two kisses.

It's not just in Westminster that Labour is having difficulties with transgender issues. Over in Wales, Mark Drakeford's barmy army has been wrestling with the same debate, amid claims from Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi that LGBT charity Stonewall has 'dictated policy' to her colleagues at Cardiff Bay. And the Welsh Tories have clearly spotted an opportunity here for some clear blue water between the two parties. For last Tuesday, Tory Laura Anne Jones popped up in the Senedd to lob a grenade at Drakeford at First Ministers' Questions. The blonde bombshell probed her opponent about just how the Welsh government intends to protect women's rights in sports as 'we have a situation where women athletes are so disheartened that they are pulling out of their own female categories.

Alongside Britain, Estonia has been among Kyiv’s staunchest allies in its efforts to repulse Putin’s forces, delivering more military equipment to Ukraine since February as a portion of GDP per capita than any other country in the world. Kaja Kallas, its prime minister, is in London today and spoke at her country’s embassy. She took questions on a range of topics and didn't hold back - especially when it came to Emmanuel Macron. Kallas was very much singing from the same song-sheet as Kuleba when she effectively accused Macron of appeasing genocide He has tried to position himself as a mediator between Putin and the west throughout this conflict, only to end up being played like a $10 banjo.

Long to reign over us? That’s the question Conservative MPs are pondering this weekend about their leader Boris Johnson. The boos and jeers that greeted him at St Paul’s on Friday were in stark contrast to the warmth and affection exhibited towards the Queen all week. It’s prompted several nervy Tories to consider putting in their letter of no-confidence to Sir Graham Brady – the chairman of the 1922 committee – amid much talk about whether the magic threshold of 54 letters has finally been reached. It has previously been suggested that Sir Graham would not make such an announcement until after the Jubilee festivities had concluded. Will tomorrow be that day? Timing is everything in politics: some of the anti-Johnsonites fear that a vote will come too soon.