Steerpike

Theresa May's Investigatory Powers Bill is proving to be one of the most unpopular pieces of proposed legislation in this Parliament. While the Home Secretary has described the bill -- which is currently in the committee stage -- as ‘world leading’, a new campaign against it claims that all it will do is inspire dictators. But Mr S has word that a big name in politics has now offered his support for the Home Secretary's bill.

Of all of Labour's dubious cheerleaders, none is more prolific on Twitter than Dr Éoin Clarke. The clip art-loving activist -- who has a PhD in Irish feminism -- managed to spend the majority of the general election campaign, and subsequent Labour leadership election, creating photoshops. While both Ed Miliband and Andy Burnham's team were at first amused by the doodles, Burnham later took steps to distance himself  -- clarifying that the photoshops were not 'official campaign material'. Now it appears that Clarke is out in the cold when it comes to the Labour party.

Following Thursday's elections, Sadiq Khan is on course to be the new mayor of London, with his rival Zac Goldsmith trailing a distant second. With Goldsmith's campaign billed as 'racist' and 'divisive' by critics, the Tories will now need to work out who is at fault for his disastrous mayoral bid. However, while Goldsmith could do with all the friends he can get right now, even his own sister is unimpressed with his efforts. As Khan was crowned mayor, Jemima Khan took to Twitter to congratulate the Labour MP: https://twitter.com/Jemima_Khan/status/728650778555129856 She then went on to express her sadness that her brother's Tory campaign had failed to show him for who he is: https://twitter.

Although Charlotte Church is seen to be a die-hard Corbynista -- previously speaking at rallies to support the Labour leader -- it appears that the prosecco-socialist is beginning to have second thoughts about Jeremy Corbyn's Labour. Rather than vote for Corbyn's beloved Labour in today's Welsh Assembly elections, Church has tweeted to say that she is backing Leanne Wood's Plaid Cymru. https://twitter.com/charlottechurch/status/728146109676150784 She has since defended her decision not to support Welsh Labour's Carwyn Jones, claiming that those who describe this as a defection don't understand Welsh politics. https://twitter.

It's less than 48 hours until the polls open for the local elections and following last week's anti-Semitism media-storm, Corbyn needs all the friends he can get if he hopes to keep voters onside. Alas, some friends are more helpful than others. As Labour try and show that they do not condone anti-Semitism, Corbyn has reportedly received a declaration of support from... Hamas. Yes, following Corbyn's decision to reject calls to denounce the Islamist group -- whose armed wing is banned as a terrorist organisation in the UK --  Breitbart Jerusalem report that Taher A-Nunu, a senior Hamas official, has said that Corbyn’s willingness to engage with the Gaza-based group as a 'painful hit that the Zionist enemy received'.

Yes, Labour is in the worst kind of turmoil - but don't expect Zac Goldsmith to be able to turn it to his advantage. His overall problem is rather neatly exemplified by the above picture: will Londoners vote for a bloke who can't even hold a pint glass, let alone drink its contents? Fair enough, Zac may not be a beer man - Gordon Brown only ever drank wine or champagne - but in which case why do a photocall in a pub? With Boris Johnson? Yet more proof that, while Zac hired Lynton Crosby's firm, the Wizard from Oz hasn't been nearly involved enough.