Steerpike

Forget the big EU debates, the most important face-off ahead of polling day is playing out on the Thames right now. Nigel Farage has taken to the water today as part of a Brexit flotilla, organised by the Fishing for Leave campaign. The stunt sees Scottish skippers boarding Brexit boats as they make the case for Out. https://twitter.com/kayaburgess/status/743012072976470016 However, not wanting to be outdone, the Remain camp are fighting back with their own attempt at some gentle naval warfare. Bob Geldof is leading the charge today -- sharing an In boat with Rachel Johnson. He has attempted to win over voters by playing Chicago's 'If you leave me now' at full volume from the vessel. Alas Mr S understands that not everyone is so impressed by Geldof's efforts.

In the aftermath of the Orlando shootings, Owen Jones appeared on the Sky News paper review on Sunday night to share his thoughts on the terrorist attack which left 49 dead. However, he ended up walking off set live on-air after growing frustrated over the broadcaster’s refusal to describe the shooting as an attack on LGBT people. Since then, Jones has penned a piece for the Guardian calling for the media focus to be on homophobia as the LGBT community try to deal with this attempt at the 'erasure' of their people. However, it turns out that Jones isn't so fussed about the silencing of certain members of the LGBT community.

It's happened. After weeks of Project Fear warnings from the Remain camp -- from WW3 to house prices actually falling --  Donald Tusk has offered the most apocalyptic warning yet. A clear frontrunner for Mr S's 'Project Fear' award, the president of the European Council has claimed today that Brexit could spell the end of... western civilisation. Yes, Tusk says that a vote for Leave could lead to the end of 'western political civilisation in its entirety': 'Why is it so dangerous? Because no one can foresee what the long-term consequences would be. As a historian I fear that Brexit could be the beginning of the destruction of not only the EU but also of western political civilisation in its entirety.

Weary that his republican views could put-off some Labour voters, Jeremy Corbyn has been keen to make clear that he won't fight to scrap the monarchy -- 'it's not the fight I'm interested in' -- if elected Prime Minister. So, what of his rumoured successor John McDonnell and his team? Just in time for the Queen's birthday celebrations, Steerpike has been passed an article that the shadow Chancellor's media advisor penned back in 2011.

Just in case last night's Boris-bashing in the ITV debate wasn't enough, Labour have decided to take another jab at the leading Brexiteer today at its 'Tory Brexit Budget' press conference. The room was filled with Remain activists wearing BoJo masks. A number then made their way to the Red Lion in Westminster where they posed with pints and St George flags. Steerpike suspects that the stunt will backfire -- given that Euro 2016 means the nation are about to go to their local watering hole and do exactly this. Still, Mr S welcomes your caption suggestions for the latest Boris attack. The winner will be revealed on Monday.

At this late stage in the EU referendum campaign, the majority of MPs have declared their voting intentions -- with some even finding time to do so twice. However, one crucial voice has been missing in the debate until now. Step forward Dennis Skinner. The veteran Labour MP has let his thoughts on the referendum down with a splash in Friday's Morning Star. Skinner tells the socialist paper that he is an outer: Skinner says it's concerns about the future of the NHS, along with the need to clampdown on capitalism that has caused him to back Leave: 'In the old days they could argue you might get a socialist government in Germany, but there’s not been one for donkeys’ years. At one time there was Italy, the Benelux countries, France and Germany, Portugal, Spain and us.

Has the reason behind David Cameron's relaxed appearance in last night's ITV debate been uncovered? Mr S only asks after one snap happy parliamentarian sent a photo to the EyeSpyMP Twitter account of the Prime Minister chillaxing on the Commons terrace with a pint on Tuesday night: https://twitter.com/eyespymp/status/740563695663734786 While the SNP lot were also out making the most of Parliament's many taxpayer-subsidised watering holes last night, they did at least manage to avoid a run-in with Cameron. Mr S understands Mhairi Black spent the evening in Sports and Social alongside the likes of Natalie McGarry. With all this drinking going on, one could be forgiven for forgetting the referendum was just two weeks away.

After Ken Livingstone claimed that Hitler supported Zionism, he found himself suspended from the Labour and his media presence dwindle -- as he was let go from his weekly LBC show. Happily, the former Mayor of London has found a publication that still wants him. Step forward the Morning Star. Yes, the socialist paper has decided that Livingstone -- who recently said ‘a real anti-Semite doesn’t just hate the Jews in Israel’ -- has all the makings of a star columnist.

Yesterday John Major made a return to frontline politics as he waded into the EU debate on the Andrew Marr show. Major ensured that he attracted viewers' attention as he launched a fierce attack on 'court jester' Boris Johnson. Now he is attracting attention once again today but -- this time -- Mr S suspects that the former Prime Minister will not appreciate the reason he is suddenly en vogue. After Major put forward the case for Remain on Sunday, his former mistress Edwina Currie has been doing her bit today. The former Conservative MP -- took to Twitter to share her view that remaining in the EU would allow the fish industry to prosper. https://twitter.com/Edwina_Currie/status/739792838569918464 Alas not everyone was so impressed with her view.

After the recent local elections, John McDonnell put Labour's 'better-than-expected' results in part down to the efforts of Momentum activists. Alas, it seems that not everyone involved with the hard-left campaign group is so in chime with the party when it comes to Labour values. Mr S understands that Momentum's Marlene Ellis has been suspended by the party over an open letter to Corbyn from the Momentum Black ConneXions group. Ellis -- who previously made the news after she was accused of labelling Chuka Umunna as not 'politically black' -- co-signed the blog post which calls on Corbyn to reverse the 'unjustified suspension of Ken Livingstone' after the former mayor was suspended over his Hitler comments.