Steerpike

The UN Security Council will meet on Monday to discuss a suspected chemical attack in Syria on the rebel-held town of Douma. With dozens of people killed, today there has been widespread outrage, with President Trump one of many to criticise Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies Russia and Iran – saying there will be a 'big price to pay'. However, over in Labour HQ a more vague response is underway. The Labour press office have today issued a statement which is so bold as to suggest that 'anyone found responsible' for using chemical weapons should be 'brought to justice'. It goes on to criticise the atrocities of this war 'whether committed by the Assad regime' or the 'Jihadist militias'.

Here we go again. Although John McDonnell advised his Labour comrades to boycott Russia Today following the Salisbury poisoning, not everyone is willing to take heed of his advice. On Thursday, Chris Williamson – a key Corbyn ally – took to the airwaves of the Kremlin-funded broadcaster to cast doubt on the government's handling of the nerve agent attack on a former Russian double agent. With Moscow claiming it has nothing to with them, the Labour MP said that it was diplomatic row with Russia was 'very convenient for the Government' and had been used 'not so much as a smoking gun but as a smoke screen' to divert attention from Brexit and austerity.

David Lammy has just popped up on BBC News to complain about the lack of police on Britain’s streets. Unfortunately for the Labour MP, as he was doing so Mr S couldn’t help but notice who was standing behind him: a police officer. Lammy told the BBC: 'We haven’t seen a police while I’ve been here and I’ve been here for a little while.

Oh dear. On Bank Holiday Monday, Stella Creasy took to the airwaves to promote the #PayMeToo campaign launched to close the gender pay gap. The campaign claims to give working women advice on how to tackle the gender pay where they work. Alas, the Labour MP appeared to be taken by surprise to find the Institute of Economic Affair's Kate Andrew not only take issue with the campaign – and its close name association to the #MeToo campaign on sexual harassment – but also with Creasy's use of data. Mr S will leave readers to decide who won this tussle...

One of the most important ingredients for success in politics, journalism, campaigns and advertising is to have a clear message. So, spare a thought for Carole Cadwalladr's Observer investigation which appears to have failed this test over the weekend. Over the past few months Cadwalladr has launched an investigation into alleged collusion and data misuse in the US election and the EU referendum. She claims that Cambridge Analytica has undisclosed links to the Canadian digital firm AggregateIQ that played a pivotal role in the official Vote Leave campaign. In this week's Observer she runs a new instalment on AggregateIQ 'the obscure Canadian tech firm' used by Vote Leave and 'the puzzle of the company's links to Cambridge Analytica': Only it must be quite some puzzle.

A Times/YouGov poll at the weekend found that nearly eight out of ten Labour members believe that accusations of anti-Semitism within the Labour party in the last fortnight are being exaggerated to damage Jeremy Corbyn and prevent criticism of Israel. So, it seems an opportune time to share Andrew Neil's helpful explainer on what anti-Semitism is and where it leads, from This Week: 'An evil demon we thought had been slain – anti-Semitism – pollutes society on both sides of the channel once more. I was told today that polls and focus groups show that many Brits, not just the young, don't know what anti-Semitism is. Well, gather round. Mireille Knoll was 85 in a wheelchair suffering from Parkinsons, she'd survived the holocaust.

This week, Jeremy Corbyn said he was 'sincerely sorry' for the pain that had been caused to the Jewish community by anti-Semitism in 'pockets' within the Labour Party. Alas, his apology wasn't enough to stop protesters – including some of his party colleagues – gathering in Parliament Square on Monday to voice their concerns. Nor were Corbyn's comments enough to dissuade some of his more loyal supporters that allegations of anti-Semitism aren't always an MSM smear designed to keep the Tories in No 10. So that readers can make up their own mind as to the size of those 'pockets', below is a list which has been compiled detailing alleged incidents on the matter: 1.

On Wednesday evening, David Davis left his sick bucket at home and made his way to the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster for an hour long grilling courtesy of Andrew Neil. At the Spectator event, the Brexit Secretary spoke of his supreme confidence that the final deal would be voted through - and that the makings of a trade deal would be know by this time next year. However, it was Davis's comment about Michel Barnier – the Chief EU negotiator that caught Steerpike's attention. The Cabinet minister joked that Barnier had said it was not 'too hard' to get Davis to give in: AN: The £37bn divorce bill agreed last November, is that the final bill? DD: Umm... yeah.. I think so. The thing I'd say to you is this... AN: Shouldn't we know so?

Over the past few weeks, Mr S has detected the faint whiff of May-mania on the horizon. The Prime Minister's handling of the poisoning of a former Russian double agent on British soil has seen her popularity rise again. What's more, she learnt a new trick – recently fist-bumping a Salisbury resident. Now she can add cracking jokes to that list. At her appearance before the Liaison Committee this afternoon, May was asked about the importance of the agriculture industry in Wales to the community. Here she pointed out that she had seen this herself on her many walking trips in Wales – only not everyone would appreciate this: 'I'm tempted to point out that I do see value of Welsh agriculture to the Welsh landscape quite often when I go walking in Wales.

Oh dear. It's no great secret that the Parliamentary Labour Party has struggled to get to grips with Jeremy Corbyn's response to Russia over the poisoning of a former Russian double agent on British soil. However, up until now they had refrained from criticising him directly in the Chamber. Today John Woodcock decided to go there following Theresa May's statement on Russia.

Here we go. After much anticipation over the weekend, the Observer's Vote Leave investigation is finally public. The paper alleges that the Brexit campaign group may have flouted referendum spending rules and then attempted to destroy evidence. While those involved with Vote Leave vehemently deny the claims, Carole Cadwalladr – the journalist behind the ongoing investigation around Trump, Brexit, Russia and Cambridge Analytica – appeared on the Andrew Marr show to discuss her claims.

This evening Owen Smith has been unceremoniously sacked by Jeremy Corbyn from the Labour front bench after he called for another EU referendum. However, given that the Labour frontbench aren't exactly known for sharing a coherent Brexit position, some are questioning how fair the move is. After all, when it coms to calling for second referendums, Diane Abbott actually beat Smith to it. Back in November, the Labour frontbencher was reported, by the Guardian, to have written to two constituents pledging she would argue in favour of a referendum on the final Brexit deal – a policy that had been ruled out by the party: ‘I will argue for the right of the electorate to vote on any deal that is finally agreed.’ Only unlike Smith, Abbott is still in post.