Steerpike

It’s fair to say that (not for the first time in recent months) things are a little bit awkward around the Cabinet table at the moment. The latest bust-up is between Philip Hammond and Gavin Williamson, with the pair falling out after an ally of the Chancellor compared the new defence secretary to Private Pike from Dad’s Army. Understandably, that did not go down well: the Ministry of Defence has now reportedly blocked Hammond from using RAF jets following a row about an unpaid bill. Yesterday, things took yet another turn for the worse in the ongoing feud after Hammond appeared to suggest Williamson had failed to get his ‘head around the defence budget’.

Theresa May’s Brexit red lines were intended to keep her backbenchers happy, reassuring them that there would be no backsliding on Brexit. The approach worked. But at PMQs today there were signs that some Brexiteer Tory MPs are starting to worry. Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Prime Minister he was concerned her red lines were ‘beginning to look a little bit pink’. He urged her to ‘apply a new coat of paint’ before she next goes to Brussels.

Unfortunately for Theresa May, her working lunch on Monday with Jean-Claude Juncker didn't work when it came to agreeing 'sufficient progress' with Brussels. However, as the Prime Minister works to solve the negotiations deadlock with the DUP – and subsequently the EU, she can at least find some light relief in the abundance of Maybot sketches now doing the rounds. In a sign that Theresa May is making an impression on Americans, May made a special appearance on Saturday Night Live over the weekend – with Kate McKinnon doing her best Maybot impression: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WMMSmwzOTg Should that one not appeal, Tracey Ullman's Theresa May is also a strong contender for best Maybot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?

Nowadays Brexit is blamed for a lot of things – in fact when good news does occur it's often accompanied by the phrase 'despite Brexit'. But up until now Mr S didn't realise the dark force of Brexit had spread to a different time continuum. Steven Moffat, the creative force behind Doctor Who, has revealed the reason that it is only now a female has been cast as a Time Lord: Brexit voters. Asked why he never cast a woman as the Doctor, Moffat tells the Radio Times that he had to be mindful of viewers who voted for Brexit: 'This isn’t a show exclusively for progressive liberals; this is also for people who voted Brexit. That’s not me politically at all — but we have to keep everyone on board.' One to add to the list...

At this year's Labour conference, John McDonnell went somewhat off message when the shadow chancellor announced at a fringe event that his party was 'war-gaming' for a 'run on the pound' if elected. Given that this hardly signs like a desirable outcome for a party of government, the shadow chancellor has since tried to retract his comments – claiming there will not be a run on the pound. But that hasn't stopped them 'war-gaming'. On today's Sunday Politics, Richard Barbrook, a key member of the McDonnell's Treasury 'war-gaming' team, made an appearance to explain how he is helping prepare the party for power.

Spare a thought for Damian Green. As the Cabinet Office investigation into whether or not he broke the ministerial code over allegations of inappropriate behaviour continues, the Secretary of State is in the news once again. This time, a former Scotland Yard detective has told BBC News that he was 'shocked' by the amount of pornography viewed on a computer seized from Green's Commons office, during a 2008 inquiry. However, Green has made clear that he himself never watched or downloaded pornography on the computer. This isn't the first time someone in Parliament appears to have caused havoc in Green's name online. Back in 2015, Green had to deny involvement with the adultery website Ashley Madison after his private email address was found among millions leaked by hackers.

The case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British mother jailed in Iran, has attracted cross party support after Boris Johnson's comments at a select committee led to the Iran government re-examining her sentence. Of all the MPs to call on the Foreign Secretary to do more to help improve her situation, few have been as vocal as Tulip Siddiq. Only the the Hampstead MP appears to be less forthcoming on other issues. On Tuesday night, Channel 4 news aired a segment in which they asked her to use her influence to free another person who campaigners say has been locked up illegally – a British-trained barrister in Bangladesh who was abducted by men thought to be working for the government.

After Priti Patel had to resign as International Development Secretary over unofficial meetings with Israelis ministers, the MP promised to continue to be 'a strong voice for Witham and Britain'. At tonight's Spectator panel discussion 'What is the future of the Tory party?' at the Emmanuel Centre, she certainly seemed intent on doing the latter. Now able to speak freely from the backbench, Patel pulled no punches. The Brexiteer MP appeared to criticise Theresa May's Brexit strategy – claiming the government lacked 'conviction and clarity in terms of our end state'. And she did not stop there.

Alex Salmond has been in the firing line of late over his decision to host a chat show on Russia Today. The former First Minister of Scotland has come under difficulty as numerous politicians have declined an invitation to appear on the channel. However, Mr S suggests he give John McDonnell a call. David Gauke has had much fun today on Twitter, where the Cabinet minister recalled an incident that occurred on College Green on Wednesday: 'Yesterday, on College Green, RT reporter and camera crew came up to me asking questions. ME: I don't do interviews with RT. INTERVIEWER: Why not? ME: You're a propaganda station. Reputable politicians don't do interviews with RT. INTERVIEWER: We've just had John McDonnell on.' Helpfully RT have shared the video of the incident online: https://twitter.