Steerpike

Oh dear. With Tory MPs and Opposition MPs alike united in their dislike of Theresa May's Chequers proposals, talk of a no deal Brexit is rife. Only this time around no-one seems able to agree on where Project Fear stops and Kamikaze begins. In today's Telegraph, a Brexiteer MP accuses May of being the most Kamikaze of all thanks to her new penchant for releasing no deal preparation notices. Far from being the stuff the UK should show to Brussels to prove they are ready, they say, talk of plans to stockpile food and bring in the army to deliver it are aimed at scaring Brits into accepting her compromise. What ever view you take, Mr S suspects that it's hard to deny Project Fear is back in some form.

With characteristic verve, former Vote Leave campaign chief Dominic Cummings has taken to his blog to brand the latest DCMS select committee report ‘fake news from the fake news committee.’ But has the high priest of fighting fake news being practising what he preaches when it comes to spreading false information? Mr S has cause for concern. Addressing the committee, he quotes the line ‘The truth? You can’t handle the truth!’ from the 90s film classic A Few Good Men, which he attributes to Tom Cruise. Clearly Cummings’ film knowledge is not up to scratch, while Cruise did star in the film, the quote itself was said by his co-star Jack Nicholson. Happily, Cummings has since issued an apology: [Pps.

Last month Mr Steerpike revealed that a group of Labour MPs had formed a special WhatsApp group to secretly liaise with one another. The topic? Rather than anti-Corbynista plots, Lucy Powell, Jess Phillips and Stella Creasy message one another about Love Island – the reality show in which young Brits try and find love. Happily, the trio have now gone public with their passion. With recess upon us, the super fandom has moved up a gear – the Labour MPs appeared on This Morning to discuss the ITV2 show, and it’s fair to say, were delighted to receive their own personalised Love Island water bottles. https://twitter.com/thismorning/status/1022063492717785089 Not as though there's much else going on right now...

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 his party had an anti-Semitism problem. Only it didn't go quite to plan thanks to a slip of the tongue: ‘Let me put this message out to anyone: we are a party that’s anti-racist and anti-Semitist... sorry... we're against anti-Semitism.' Freudian slip?

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 grilled by the Exiting the European Union select committee. Only things soon took a turn for the dramatic when mid session the government published a statement from the Prime Minister announcing that she will now ‘lead the negotiations with the European Union’ and Dominic Raab's department will be stripped of its role in the negotiations with that duty being entirely shifted to the Cabinet Office's Europe unit.

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 eat it as well as make it. I have over 150 cookbooks, so I spend quite a lot of time looking at cookbooks. And...I quite like watching NCIS when I can.' Time for a reboot?

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 up to vote. And the reason for the Lib Dem leader's absence? It turns out Sir Vince was busy discussing the creation of a new anti-Brexit centre-ground party at a secret dinner, as The Sunday Times reports. Instead of trying to start a new 'stop Brexit' party, Cable could have got closer to stopping Brexit by just doing his day job. Who knew?

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 of between £15,000 and £20,000, according to figures released by the Department for Exiting the EU. As if that wasn't enough, Robbins also earned a salary of at least £80,000 before his transfer from the Brexit department to No.10. Whatever happens with Brexit, Robbins, at least, has plenty to smile about...

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. Given that the Prime Minister shows no sign of backing down and is adamant hers is the right way, this presents the Brexiteers with a problem. Despite their insistence they would rather May stay in office, will this position be tenable in two months time if nothing has changed? And who could they turn to should they need someone to step up and challenge May? Perhaps a clue can be found in Jacob Rees-Mogg's endorsement of Johnson's speech.

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 for Novara Media – has been rebranded as a liberal champion – with Teen Vogue even chipping in. Now Novara Media is keen to cash in. The blog has released a new t-shirt to its online shop emblazoned 'I'm literally a communist'. Only rather than, say, practise communism and dispensing them 'from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs' – the site appears to have opted to follow free market principles on this occasion.