Steerpike

After a hectic political summer, with multiple cabinet resignations and minor rebellions, even the most seasoned of Westminster watchers were struggling to keep track of all the junior ministers in Theresa May's team. But even after the resignation dust has settled, it seems that Commons staff are still struggling to remember who's in the government and who's left. To highlight that questions were taking place in the chamber about defence, their social media team released this video, featuring the department's ministers: Tobias Ellwood, Gavin Williamson, Mark Lancaster and err, Guto Bebb: https://twitter.com/HouseofCommons/status/1054366769257811968 Only somewhat embarrassingly for them and him, Bebb resigned from the government in July over a Brexit vote.

It's the day of the People's Vote march and over half a million protesters are estimated to have descended on the capital to call for a second referendum. The pro-EU protesters have brought with them a range of placards – while some parents have opted to simply save paper and write pro-EU slogans on their children's backs. Mr S will leave readers to rank today's offerings: https://twitter.com/brokenbottleboy/status/1053612226219831296 https://twitter.com/HenryCPorter/status/1053646639750098945 https://twitter.com/mpvine/status/1053678434369572864 https://twitter.com/mpvine/status/1053681304376614914 https://twitter.com/mpvine/status/1053679945598296065 https://twitter.com/mpvine/status/1053677481092374529 https://twitter.

When the FT revealed today that former Lib Dem leader and deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was joining Facebook as a head of global affairs, there was a predictable chorus of outrage from Labour MPs. In a statement, Labour’s Jon Trickett decried Clegg’s new position as: ‘a damning indictment of the sorry state of our country's politics that, at a time when digital giants such as Facebook are rightly coming under public scrutiny, our former Deputy Prime Minister has been hired to lobby on their behalf. Labour is committed to slamming shut the revolving door between politics and big business, which for too long has corroded public trust in politics.

We've all been there. Having to ask someone to repeat themselves because you couldn't understand them is embarrassing enough. Spare a thought then for Sir Paul Beresford. In the Commons just now, the Tory MP failed to understand the Glaswegian accent of the SNP’s David Linden. Twice. Luckily for Beresford, deputy speaker Lindsay Hoyle eventually stepped in to spare his blushes: “I think the answer might be helped if you can reply in writing,” he said. Oh dear...

Ever since the Brexit referendum, it’s been a fact of British political life that the most important decisions, that will have the profoundest impact on society, will not be decided by politicians, but by the people. Therefore it made perfect sense when politicians questioned Westminster’s favourite curry house’s decision to update its menu, that the proposed menu change be put to a referendum. Sparks flew at the Kennington Tandoori – famous for delivering David Cameron's final meal at No 10 – earlier this month after the restaurant updated its classics in the name of a street food revolution. Was this still a safe space for Parliamentarians?

It's been a curious day in Parliament after Labour MPs en masse came to John Bercow's defence amid a damning report into bullying in Parliament. Despite the report concluding that the Speaker is among those who should consider their position, numerous Labour MPs have said that he should stay in place. It seems that treating employees well pales in comparison to having a chair sympathetic to your party's Brexit opposition. The majority of Labour MPs (see Steerpike's full roll call of shame) have been vague when it comes to their real intentions. However, in an interview with the BBC, Margaret Beckett has broken rank and offered an honest explanation as to why she and her colleagues want Bercow to stay in place: Brexit – which apparently 'trumps' bullying.

Today, Theresa May stood before the Commons to update MPs on the state of the Brexit process. At this critical juncture in the negotiations and in her career, the Prime Minister tried to convey a solemn and statesmanlike appearance as she spoke about her dealings with the European Union. Unfortunately for her, the statesmanlike approach probably wasn’t helped by some rather on the nose heckling from the Labour benches. As May outlined the roadblocks she faced in Europe: 'But Mr Speaker, two problems remain' One cheeky Labour MP shouted: 'Boris!'  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-8xVvlLiIM Judging by the ashen faces on the Conservative front benches, it seems like May thinks the Boris joke is wearing thin.