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
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As Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson found himself restrained in ways that didn’t suit him. Now on the backbench once again, BoJo is able to speak freely on Brexit. He’s also able to return to a favourite pastime: cycling. Although Johnson is a well known cycling enthusiast, the keen pedaller has been stuck on foot since
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A poll earlier this year found that almost two-thirds of the British public believe Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party has a problem with racism or religious prejudice. However, up until now Mr S hadn’t thought John McDonnell was one of them. Speaking on the Today programme this morning, the Shadow Chancellor attempted to rebuff suggestions that
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Following the resignation of David Davis, Brexiteers and Remainers alike have been left wondering how Brexit is going, and more importantly, who is really in charge of the negotiations with the EU. Today they got their chance to find out, as new Brexit secretary Dominic Raab and Number 10’s widely-loathed Brexit guru Olly Robbins were
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When No 10 attempted to bring recess early so that Parliament rose last Thursday rather than this Tuesday, there was widespread outrage – even on the Conservative benches. So much so that the Whips eventually reneged on the idea and scrapped the plans. One of the most indignant Tory MPs at the time was George
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John Bercow wasn’t spotted in the Royal Box at Wimbledon this year but Mr S is pleased to report that the Speaker still managed to get his tennis fix this summer. Bercow accepted two free tickets worth £630 to attend the final of Queens in June, according to the register of members’ interests. The jolly –
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The Maybot is back. The Prime Minister has just been doing a Q and A with workers in Newcastle when she was asked how she likes to unwind. Here’s what she had to say: ‘There are several things I like to do. I like walking…I enjoy cooking, which has a benefit because you get to
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Theresa May has always said ‘no deal is better than a bad deal’, but how much has her government actually prepared for the possibility of walking away from the EU if talks do break down? Not a lot, if the claims made by David Davis’ former chief of staff, Stewart Jackson, are anything to go
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This week the government narrowly avoided defeat on two government-backed amendments tabled by the European Research Group. In the end, the government squeaked through by just three votes. So, it didn’t go down particularly well with the pro-EU crew that neither the former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron or his successor, Vince Cable, bothered to turn
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Theresa May’s Brexit plan is going down badly and the EU is telling members states to step up preparations for ‘no deal’. You’d be forgiven for thinking that Brexit isn’t going entirely to plan. But this mess didn’t stop the Prime Minister’s Brexit guru Olly Robbins getting a bonus last year. Robbins was rewarded with a payment
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Although the government managed to win the crunch customs union vote this week, the victory was short-lived thanks to a row over the fact Brandon Lewis voted despite being on a pairing arrangement with Lib Dem Jo Swinson – who missed the vote after recently giving birth. Today the Times reports that despite claims from the
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Boris Johnson’s resignation speech wasn’t the Geoffrey Howe moment some had built it up to be. But the former Foreign Secretary’s critique of Theresa May’s Brexit policy certainly gave Tory MPs food for thought. Johnson made clear he thought the policy amounted to Brexit in name only – and pushed for a change of course.
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Last week, the left-wing blogger Ash Sarkar told Piers Morgan she was ‘literally a communist’ after the pair got into a heated debate over her decision to protest Donald Trump’s visit to the UK when she hadn’t done the same for Barack Obama. Since then, the clip has gone viral and Sarkar – who works
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Oh dear. As No 10 attempt to stop more Commons rebellions today on the customs bill, relations between Tory Remain rebels and Tory Brexiteers have hit an all-time low – and that’s saying something. Appearing on the Daily Politics, Nadine Dorries launched a broadside against Anna Soubry over her comments in the Chamber on Monday
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Theresa May’s government may be on the verge of collapse but it’s still business as usual on the Westminster summer party scene. At think tank Freer’s summer party at the Institute of Economic Affairs, Liz Truss introduced the new Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab – finding time to send him up after he was outed for
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Andrea Jenkyns is regarded by many Tory MPs as a Brexit champion – after the Conservative MP for Morley pre-emptively quit last month as a PPS to fight for Brexit. Since then Jenkyns has become one of the loudest voices calling for a new tack from No 10 in the negotiations. However, Mr S can’t
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Over the weekend, Theresa May attempted to stem the growing Eurosceptic rebellion by warning Brexiteer MPs that if they didn’t back her Chequers proposal, they risked not Brexit at all. Tory activists and MPs were quick to slam what they saw as a threat. But is there one group of Tory MPs who at least
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In Trumpland, the truth is what you say it is. Donald Trump says he was at his golf course at Turnberry, in Scotland, the day before the Brexit vote, and that he predicted then that Brexit would happen. He told the Sun newspaper yesterday. Clearly, nobody has told him otherwise, because the President doubled down
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It’s all kicking off in the Conservative party. After a week of Eurosceptic rebellion, resignations and in-fighting, Theresa May has been dealt another blow to her Brexit position in the form of President Trump. The US President has used an interview with the Sun to criticise the UK Prime Minister and appear to rule out
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President Trump’s official UK visit has turned into a nightmare for Downing Street after the US President used an interview with the Sun to suggest Theresa May had wrecked Brexit and a UK/US deal could be off the table. The comments are a gift to those Brexiteers pushing for May to change course and alter
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Theresa May’s Chequers’ Brexit blueprint hasn’t got off to the best start this week. Before the white paper has even been published, she has seen her Brexit Secretary and Foreign Secretary quit – along with a growing backbench rebellion. Now President Trump has offered his verdict – and it’s not what you could call a
