Steerpike

With Theresa May on the back foot today over Tory cuts to police numbers, CCHQ can count their lucky stars that Diane Abbott has been doing the media rounds this evening. The shadow home secretary was interviewed by Dermot Murnaghan this evening on Labour's position on terrorism measures following Saturday's attack. However, Abbott soon hit a problem when Murnaghan asked her about the 2016 Lord Harris report on improving London’s terror preparedness. It soon became clear that Abbott was not familiar with its contents – not that she was willing to admit this: DA: I think we do need to revisit that report DM: Which part of it?

Given that Theresa May hasn't performed one of her customary 'strong and steady' U-turns for over a week, it was about time she changed her mind on something. So, Mr S was relieved to read her interview with City AM editor Christian May. While the Prime Minister promises to defend the City in EU negotiations, it was the quick fire round that caught Steerpike's attention. May is asked to pick which restaurant out of Coq D'Argent or Simpson's Tavern she prefers: CM: Coq D'Argent or Simpson's Tavern? TM: Simpson's Tavern. When May plumps for Simpson's Tavern, the editor lets her know this is also Nigel Farage's favourite: CM: When I point out this is Nigel Farage's favourite City haunt, the PM changes her mind.

This week, David Dimbleby set the cat among the pigeons when he used an interview with the Radio Times to complain of right-wing media bias against Jeremy Corbyn: 'I don’t think anyone could say that Corbyn has had a fair deal at the hands of the press, in a way that the Labour party did when it was more to the centre, but then we generally have a rightwing press.' But has Dimbleby's employer taken his comments a bit too literally? Mr S only asks after last night's BBC Election Debate appeared to have such a left-wing audience that even left-wing pundits took to social media to query whether it really had the required level of BBC balance: https://twitter.

Today Westminster has been abuzz with speculation over the general election result after YouGov analysis suggested the Conservatives are on course for an electoral upset which could see them lose their majority. The YouGov team have been busy defending the numbers behind the headline, with Joe Twyman appearing on today's Spectator’s Coffee House Shots podcast. However, despite their best efforts, some are unwilling to accept YouGov's findings. Step forward Jim Messina. The former Obama adviser -- who did the Tory's micro-targeting campaign in 2015 and is involved again this year -- has taken to social media to brand the YouGov poll 'stupid': https://twitter.

With Theresa May currently experiencing a rough patch in her election campaign, the Prime Minister is discovering fast who her friends really are. Unfortunately for May, her old Cabinet colleague George Osborne doesn't appear to be on that list. Now that the former Chancellor is the editor of the London Evening Standard, the paper's editorials have become a constant source of criticism for the government. Today's was no exception. On the state of the Conservative campaign, the paper says the 'campaign has meandered from an abortive attempt to launch a personality cult around Mrs May'.

Although Theresa May has refused to go head-to-head with Jeremy Corbyn in a debate ahead of the election, Boris Johnson and Andrew Gwynne have at least obliged. Ahead of tonight's Sky News/Channel 4 leaders interviews, the two came close to coming to fisticuffs as they went blow-to-blow over the election. While Labour's joint national elections coordinator was keen to talk about the Tories' plan for pensions, the Foreign Secretary had other ideas. Johnson repeatedly asked Gwynne about Labour's plans for Brexit. With the pair talking over one another constantly, Adam Boulton attempted to act as a referee: AB: No, excuse me. Can I just say one thing to you both: doesn't your exchange show we should have had face-to-face debates? AG: Absolutely, what's she running scared of?

Given Scottish Labour's rapid fall from grace north of the border, Mr S suspects that its leader Kezia Dugdale has grown accustomed to being on the receiving end of many choice words from the public. However, she probably wasn't expecting Sophy Ridge's most recent slip of the tongue. On Sky News, Ridge introduced Dugdale as the leader of 'Scottish Labia': Hats off to Ridge for managing to keep a straight face...

With a slim majority of just over 2,000 to defend, Nick Clegg has his work cut out holding onto Sheffield Hallam in next month's snap election. So, with less than two weeks to go until polling day, surely the Liberal Democrat is busying himself campaigning locally? Well, perhaps not. Mr S was curious to discover that the former deputy prime minister is spending the day over 150 miles away in Hay-on-Wye -- where he will speak at the Hay Festival. Flogging his book 'Between the Extremes', Clegg will lift the lid on his time in government: Given that the Lib Dems have rarely looked further away from government than they do now, Mr S can't blame him for preferring to reminisce about old times...

Ukip has vowed to ban the burka if it ever comes to power and in its manifesto - which it launched today - the party calls on people to show 'your face in a public place'. But there's a problem: in the same document in which the party unveiled its policy, there was one person who could well fall foul of the new plans - a beekeeper.   The image of the hardworking beekeeper appears just pages away from Ukip's announcement that 'face coverings...are barriers to integration'. Thankfully, Ukip's deputy leader Peter Whittle has said the question of whether apiarists would be affected by the ban was 'ridiculous'. Mr S hopes the party won't be stung come June 8 over the confusion...