Steerpike

Since Labour's surprise victory in the People's Republic of Kensington, new MP Emma Dent Coad has been quick to make her mark on Parliament. As well as saying her predecessors are not 'hard acts to follow' and calling for the monarchy (many of whom are her constituents) to be abolished, Dent Coad made the news after she said Sir Martin Moore-Bick should be replaced as head of the Grenfell Tower inquiry because he does not ‘understand human beings’. So, Mr S was curious to tune into Dent Coad's appearance on today's Pienaar's Politics where the backbencher was asked whether she has ever done anything illegal.

For once, theres’s no vacancy in the shadow cabinet but when one inevitably comes up, Mr S would like to put forward his pick for promotion: Jared O’Mara. The Labour MP popped up on Channel 4 News last night to criticise the Tories for their spending on benefits. Inevitably, the dilemma of how it would be paid for came up. While that question might have troubled some, O’Mara had an answer: Britain has ‘loads of money’ to spend, he insisted. The Labour MP’s insight didn’t stop there though, as he also revealed where the much talked-about ‘magic money tree' is: 'If you want to know where this magic money tree is…well, quite simply, it’s in tax evasion woods and tax avoidance forest.

David Davis is in Brussels today, but the Brexit secretary isn't the only big name politician in town. Joining Jean-Claude Juncker for what is being described as a 'regular catch-up' is none other than...Tony Blair. And while there is no love lost between Juncker and most British politicians, the same can't be said for his feelings towards Blair. When the pair met this morning at the European Commission headquarters, Juncker planted a kiss on the former PM's cheek before giving him a hug. Captions in the comments below...

Jeremy Corbyn did better than many expected in the general election, but while some of his allies might not like it, he still lost. Or at least he did unless you’re looking at things from where Labour frontbencher Chris Williamson is sitting. Fresh from coming under fire for suggesting women-only train carriages were a good idea, the Labour MP has now been claiming that Corbyn won a landslide election victory on June 8th. Here's what he told the Guardian's Rowena Mason in an interview today: Mr S would be interested to know where Williamson is getting his numbers from...

This week, Laura Pidcock made a name for herself after the new MP declared that she would never (ever) be friends with a Tory. The Labour politician said she would not 'hang out with Tory women' as they were 'no friends of mine' and 'an enemy to lots of women'. Although her comments provoked much criticism, her Labour comrade Richard Burgon did at least come to her defence. The Labour frontbencher said it was a fair enough outlook – after all, it never did Dennis Skinner any harm. However, is the real issue here that Pidcock didn't go far enough? The Grauniad have published an article titled: is it OK to be friends with a Tory?

It's safe to say that Chris Williamson is not the most popular MP in his party right now, after the Labour frontbencher suggested women-only carriages were a good idea – in order to stop women falling victim to sexual assault on public transport. Since then, several Labour MPs have criticised his comments – with Jess Phillips suggesting Williamson was taking tips on feminism from Saudi Arabia. Now one resident of the Palace of Westminster has taken matters into their own hands. A notice has been placed on the door of Williamson's office in response to his suggestion: 'Woman? Sexually harassed at work? How about working on your own floor?' https://twitter.com/paulwaugh/status/900361676863700992 The next PLP meeting should be fun...

There are plenty of theories about what led to the Brexit vote. Now, Al Gore, has a new one to add to the pile. The former vice president - who has been busy promoting his new film by labelling those who question him ’deniers’ - says the EU referendum result was brought about because of... climate change. Gore suggested that the war in Syria was caused by ‘climate refugees’ flooding into the cities. This, in turn, by Gore’s version of events at least, kickstarted the wider refugee crisis - eventually leading Brits to vote out last June. Here’s what Gore told the New European: ‘Long before the civil war in Syria began from 2006 to 2010 80% of livestock were killed by the drought, 60% of farms were destroyed, 1.

This summer, MPs have had to grapple with one of the big issues of our time. No, not Brexit – the planned closure of Big Ben. With the Great Bell to be silenced for four years while renovation work takes place, some politicians have expressed upset at the plans. Jacob Rees-Mogg argues that it would be 'symbolically uplifting' for Big Ben's chimes to bong Britain out of the European Union. Meanwhile, one MP suffering from a particularly bad case of Big Ben blues has called for like-minded traditionalists to gather outside Parliament tomorrow at midday to witness his final bongs. Alas not everyone is entertained. Today Chris Bryant went on the offensive.

Although Theresa May has returned from her summer holidays to find her job safe, it's only a temporary fix to the Conservative party's woes. MPs plan to keep May as Prime Minister until the end of the Brexit negotiations – by which point they hope to be able to have a Tory leadership contest which won't descend into a bloodbath. So, who will May's successor be? In the new issue of The Spectator, Katy Balls reports that while Amber Rudd is proving a popular choice with MPs – her wafer-thin majority of 346 in Hastings and Rye remains a cause of concern.

In the wake of the referendum and a series of messy leadership battles, Ukip is a party without a plan. But a lack of direction isn't the only thing troubling the Kippers. The party's interim leader Steve Crowther has issued a press release calling the former EU President Martin Schulz a 'complete idiot'. The strong sentiment might not come as much as a surprise. Yet the insult was undermined somewhat by Crowther managing to repeatedly misspell the name of the man he was calling an idiot: Mr S thinks the next time Ukip's stand-in leader spouts off, he might want to run a spell checker first...

A brief trawl of the Foreign Office's travel advice for Brits thinking of paying a visit to Sudan will tell you that's it's not the best idea – with cholera, the threat of terrorism and clashes between government forces and rebel groups on the menu. What's more, the British Embassy no longer registers UK nationals in Sudan so help in times of crisis may be limited. However, for Levison Wood, it sure sounds a lot better than living in the UK under a Corbyn government. In an interview with the Telegraph, the Channel 4 adventurer says that if Jeremy Corbyn becomes Prime Minister, he would leave the country and... walk to Sudan: 'For the record, Wood says he would “definitely walk back to the Sudan” if Jeremy Corbyn ever becomes prime minister.

Would a Labour government take Britain out of the customs union after Brexit? It’s a simple enough question - but not it seems if you’re the shadow international trade minister, Bill Esterson. The Labour MP has been busy touring the airwaves this morning, criticising the government for its Brexit transition period plans. While Esterson is quick to find fault with the Tory approach, he is less keen to answer questions on what the plan would be if Jeremy Corbyn made it to Downing Street. On the Today programme, he refused repeatedly to say where Labour stood on the issue: Justin Webb: ...does that mean being in the customs union or out? Bill Esterson: Well I think lurid headlines in tabloids don’t really deal with substance.

The one positive to the snap election for the Tories was the resurgence of Scottish Conservatism. As the SNP suffered big losses, the Tories came home and dry with 12 new MPs. So, it follows that this year's Edinburgh Fringe is proving a more joyful occasion than it has in recent years – with the SNP now also on the receiving end. Speaking at the Scotland Office's festival reception, David Mundell certainly cut a jolly figure. The Scottish Secretary lamented that he could not put on a one-man-show even if he wanted to – thanks to him no longer being the only Conservative MP in Scotland. As for those who are taking to the stage at the Fringe? 'The former First Minister will charge £25 or you can see me tonight for free.

After Glastonbury was certified as a leftie, middle-class Labour lovefest, best spent listening to the musical legend that is Jeremy Corbyn, where Channel 4 presenters chant: 'f--- the Tories', it seems safe spaces for music-loving Conservatives are in short supply. So, where ought a Tory find their festival fix? As Labour politicians – including Tom Watson, Louise Haigh, and of course, Ed Balls – takeover Somerset, Mr S hears that Ed Vaizey has managed to find a safe haven for Conservatives closer to home. According to the latest register of interests, the former minister recently enjoyed a trip to the Capital FM Summertime Ball in London, receiving four hospitality tickets worth £1,000.