Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike
From our UK edition
As Theresa May's recently re-shuffled Cabinet get underway with the big task at hand, spare a thought for those who are having to get used to being on the sidelines. There was a cross-party outcry when Ed Vaizey was axed as culture minister with MPs from both Labour and the SNP praising his work in the role. Alas it seems that Vaizey is finding it difficult to adjust to a return to the backbench.
From our UK edition
This autumn, Sir Craig Oliver will publish his book Unleashing Demons: The Inside Story of the EU Referendum. The tome promises to lift the lid on No.10's failed efforts to keep the United Kingdom in the EU, with details of private conversations with everyone from Jeremy Corbyn to Barack Obama. However while the book is unlikely to make for an uplifting read -- given Oliver described the end result as 'walking across a path that appeared to be safety and then walking into quicksand' -- Mr S has reason to believe that the campaign wasn't all pain and suffering for Cameron's former director of communications. As well as being awarded a knighthood in the Prime Minister's resignation honours, Oliver is said to have found a like-minded confidante in the Remain camp.
From our UK edition
Oh dear. First the Guardian declared tea drinkers to possess ‘the worst possible English trait, up there with colonialism‘ and HP sauce to be the condiment of the establishment. Then the paper's food section took things up a gear by describing barbecues as simply borderline-racist and street parties to be ‘a front for a middle-class nationalism that celebrates austerity’. Now they have turned on their own. Yes, just as French scribe Jacques Mallet du Pan said, the revolution has devoured its children. In the latest bit of food advice from the Grauniad, the paper calls out hipsters for eating avocado toast, the trendy brunch staple. In a piece -- titled 'Can hipsters stomach the unpalatable truth about avocado toast?
From our UK edition
Now that Nigel Farage is stepping away from frontline politics, he has more time to focus on his family, television career and... appearance. In an interview for Russia Today (natch) with Sam Delaney, Farage has unveiled his new facial hair. With the look so far receiving a mixed reception online -- with some likening it to that of an American daytime television host -- Mr S welcomes your caption suggestions. The winner will be announced on Monday. Update: … and the winner is K G Barrett for coming up with a solution to Ukip's troubles in their leadership contest -- with the caption: ‘Nigel Farage? I'm sorry, I have never heard of him. My name is John Bull, and I'm standing for leadership of Ukip’.
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Oh dear. Although BBC presenters tend to shrug off most accusations of bias as nonsense, staff at Newsnight are going to have to rethink their approach when it comes to reporting on climate change. A paper by the BBC Trust has urged the corporation to ensure that 'presenters are able to confidently challenge misleading/ inaccurate statistical claims made by interviewees'. They go on to cite Emma Thompson's appearance on Newsnight as an example of when not enough was done to challenge faulty views. In an interview with Emily Maitlis, the Oscar-winning luvvie made statements about climate change: 'If they [oil companies] take out of the earth all the oil they want to take out, you look at the science.
From our UK edition
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister set off for a two week holiday in Switzerland. A favourite destination of both Theresa May and her husband Philip, the pair are expected to enjoy the fresh mountain air and go walking. However, being Prime Minister ahead of an EU negotiation can make even the most neutral of destination a complicated choice. During the referendum campaign, Switzerland was often cited as an example of a country that has got the best deal from being outside the EU. What's more reports are circulating that Brussels will get even tougher on Switzerland’s trade deals in order to set a precedent for the UK’s ahead of its negotiation.
From our UK edition
Although Labour Conference is set to take place next month, doubts have surfaced over whether it will go ahead thanks to a security snag. After the party decided to boycott G4S -- their usual security supplier -- they have been left with few options when it comes to security firms for the event. A leaked memo to Guido last week revealed that the only security firm available to Labour at present is Liverpool-based Showsec. Alas, questions have been raised over their suitability as they are in the midst of a row with the GMB after being accused of not letting staff unionise. However, Mr S understands there is another option on the table.
From our UK edition
It's tough being a Trot nowadays. As well as having Tom Watson peddle 'baseless conspiracy theories' about your political motives, you have to take your message to the masses in order to win power. Perhaps that's why Momentum top dog James Schneider spent the weekend sunning himself at an ancient royal hunting ground owned by Baron Rotherwick, the Tory peer. The venue for this year's Wilderness festival -- aka Britain's poshest music festival -- Cornbury Park is a favourite of David Cameron and his wife Samantha. In return for the £177 entry fee -- not including the optional five course banquets on offer -- punters were rewarded with performances from the Flaming Lips, Kate Nash and Momentum.
From our UK edition
What a difference a year makes. Last August, Michael Dugher and Andy Burnham were thick as thieves with Dugher -- a former Brown spinner -- even running Burnham's failed leadership campaign. Alas now that Jeremy Corbyn is leader their friendship has taken a turn for the worse. While Dugher was sacked as shadow Culture Secretary in January, Burnham has clung on as shadow Home Secretary -- even choosing to remain when the majority of the shadow cabinet resigned in protest of the leader. While sceptics suggested this was because he was worried about losing Corbynista votes in his bid to be the Mayor of Greater Manchester, today any such bet paid off with Burnham announced as Labour's official candidate.
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Today the Sun have splashed on the revelation that Antonio Horta-Osorio, the married boss of Lloyds Bank, managed to combine business and pleasure on a recent trip a banking conference in Singapore. Horta-Osorio is alleged to have met his mistress Dr Wendy Piatt -- a former special adviser to Tony Blair -- at the five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel, reportedly even using his state-owned Lloyds Bank address for the booking. While it is currently unclear whether the £4000 hotel bill was paid from his own money or expenses from the bank -- which is nine per cent owned by British taxpayers -- Mr S suspects he is on a sticky wicket either way.
From our UK edition
Spare a thought for Eddie Izzard. Every campaign the cross-dressing comedian attaches himself to has a tendency to end in failure. After backing Ed Miliband in the General Election, Izzard found himself on the losing side once again in the EU referendum campaign when his tour of university campuses failed to swing it for Remain. Today he has missed out on a place on Labour's National Executive Committee. Izzard had hoped to be elected onto the party's NEC as part of his efforts to carve a career in politics. However, he ended up coming eighth, with the six available seats going to more Corbynista candidates. https://twitter.
From our UK edition
Oh dear. Less than a month into his tenure as transport secretary, and Chris Grayling already has a crisis on his hands. As commuters on Southern Rail face a week of rail chaos across London and the South East thanks to strikes, there is a growing anger that Grayling is yet to take charge of the situation -- despite describing it as his 'top priority'.
From our UK edition
As David Cameron gets use to life on the backbenches, he is making the most of his reduced workload by enjoying a lavish break with his wife Samantha to Corsica. However, when he returns to the bubble he will need to get used to a life without some of the luxuries previously awarded to him as Prime Minister. As well as having to now sort his own transport, Cameron had best not plan to hit the golf course anytime soon. The latest register of interests shows that Cameron has had his membership to the Ellesborough Golf Club -- which began in 2011 -- revoked. The golf club -- which lies near Chequers -- traditionally waives the annual £1,165 membership to offer current Prime Ministers free membership.
From our UK edition
Since Theresa May succeeded David Cameron as Prime Minister, she has wasted no time in putting distance between herself and many of Cameron's flagship policies. As well as putting the brakes on Hinkley Point, May has hinted that she will take a fresh approach to the Northern Powerhouse and grammar schools. Now Mr S understands that another aspect of the Cameron and Osborne premiership is facing the axe. During Cameron's time in government, both he and Osborne became known for their penchant for hard-hats and high-vis jackets. In fact, Osborne wore the items for so many industrial visits that he even became known as the 'hard-hat chancellor'.
From our UK edition
Now that Michael Gove has returned to the backbenches, the former Justice Secretary can take heart that his new role will at least save him some awkward meetings, say for example, with the Queen. In an upcoming BBC documentary on Brexit, Nick Clegg blames Gove for the Sun's 'the Queen backs Brexit' splash. Published in March, the paper reported that the Queen clashed with Nick Clegg -- then Deputy Prime Minister -- over Europe at a lunch in 2011 at which Her Majesty declared the EU was ‘heading in the wrong direction’. Although Gove has previously denied being behind the story -- which the palace complained to Ipso about -- Clegg would care to disagree.
From our UK edition
As David Cameron continues to receive flak over his resignation honours list, yesterday his old pal Steve Hilton stuck his head above the parapet to make his criticism be known. Not content with going against his old boss on the EU, Hilton -- who is Cameron's former director of strategy -- says the honours system is 'corrupt'. Alas it turns out not everyone on the Tory benches is so happy about Hilton sharing his views from across the pond. Richard Benyon, the former environment minister, took to Twitter to call Hilton a 'pompous arse': https://twitter.com/RichardBenyonMP/status/761118214386364416 It turns out that Hugo Swire -- who coincidentally received a knighthood in the aforementioned resignation honours -- agrees with Benyon.
From our UK edition
Although Jeremy Corbyn has previously suggested that he is against the creation of new peers, the Labour leader appears to take a different approach when it comes to the chair of his anti-Semitism inquiry. After weeks of speculation that Corbyn was poised to give Shami Chakrabarti -- who recently found that the party was not overrun with anti-Semitism -- a peerage, today the news has been confirmed in the official resignation honours list: In a statement on the decision, Labour say they are 'delighted' to confirm Chakrabarti's appointment to the House of Lords. They refrain, however, from addressing concerns that this suggests a conflict of interest.
From our UK edition
With Scottish Labour now the third biggest party in Scotland following disastrous election results in May, it's safe to say that its members have seen better times. However, there does appear to be one positive to the beleaguered party's lagging popularity: it's never been easier to get involved. Today Scottish Labour have sent out an email to their full distribution list -- including members of the press -- asking recipients to stand in the local elections: Alas it turns out the party have now got cold feet about asking members of the media to stand.
From our UK edition
Yesterday the Home Office won its appeal against a landmark ruling that allowed four Syrian refugees living in the main camp in Calais to come to the UK. While the refugees will be allowed to stay, the appeal means that it will be difficult for more refugees to come to Britain this way in the future. Following the decision Yvette Cooper labelled Theresa May 'a disgrace'. The Labour politician says she is appalled that May pursued this appeal and called on her to do more to help Syrian refugees. However, Mr S couldn't help but think back to Cooper's own promises when it comes to refugees.
From our UK edition
It's not a good time to be a member of the MSM, aka mainstream media. A quick look at alternative news outlets like the Corbynista Canary will tell you that reports from the MSM are frequently inaccurate. What's more, the Guardian now appear to have joined the cause. On Monday, the paper published an article by Piers Robinson suggesting Russia Today, al-Jazeera and Press TV should not be off-limits as while they may be biased so is much western media. So, what are the alternatives? Mr S was intrigued last month when Paul Mason -- the former Channel 4 economics editor turned revolutionary -- announced to much fanfare that he would be launching a public service 'Brexit Bulletin'.