Steerpike

Of all the places across the United Kingdom where David Cameron can expect a lukewarm welcome, north of the border must be one of the least likely. So Mr S was happy to hear that Cameron is at least now proving popular at one Scottish joint. Just as the Prime Minister may think Piggate is well and truly behind him, one bright spark has come up with a way to revisit the story just in time to cash in on the festive season. Cornelius Beer -- the Edinburgh-based drinks outlet -- have made their own special brew entitled FigPucker in tribute to the -- unsubstantiated -- claim in Lord Aschcroft's David Cameron biography that the Prime Minister had once enjoyed intimate relations with a pig.

Covering the upcoming Syria vote is proving to be a challenge for hacks at the Guardian. Steerpike understands that the paper is having a difficult time deciding its editorial line on the issue which is currently undermining Jeremy Corbyn's leadership. Meanwhile, the little fact that Corbyn's head of comms Seumas Milne -- the Guardian columnist and associate editor -- is on leave from the paper only complicates matters further. Now the New Statesman's George Eaton reports that the Guardian are even having issues when it comes to their insider briefings.

Jeremy Corbyn is not having a good day. A large number of Labour MPs are uniting against him over his stance on Syria, while the news that the Labour party has lifted its suspension of his aide Andrew Fisher has been met with hostility by Caroline Flint and Siobhain McDonagh. With the knives out for the Labour leader, happily Corbyn can at least rely on the support of one man at this testing time. Step forward David Icke. Yes, the purple-tracksuit-wearing-lizard-conspiracist has tweeted his support for Corbyn, sharing a charming clip art picture urging him to 'stand by your principles'. https://twitter.com/davidicke/status/670230963167739904 While Corbyn needs all the friends he can get right now, he may need to treat his new cheerleader with caution.

MPs in the Commons are currently debating whether or not to vote in favour of airstrikes in Syria, after the Prime Minister delivered a statement on the issue this morning. As members of the opposition -- including Dennis Skinner and Chris Leslie -- raise questions over the potential airstrikes, where are the self-titled 'real opposition'? Well, for all their talk, the SNP's foreign affairs spokesperson is nowhere to be seen during this Westminster debate. Instead Alex Salmond has decided it is the opportune time to take a trip up to Edinburgh to attend First Minister's Questions at Scottish Parliament.

With Diane Abbott recently given the nickname Madame Mao by her colleagues over her behaviour since Jeremy Corbyn was elected as Labour leader, Mr S had thought that Corbyn's team would be at pains to distance themselves from the Chinese Communist revolutionary. Yet think again, as not only did John McDonnell bring up Chairman Mao today during the today's Spending Review announcement, he also decided to quote the communist leader at length. McDonnell attempted to make a joke about Mao in response to Osborne's questionable business relationship with China -- the shadow chancellor said that he had brought Osborne a gift of Mao's Little Red Book: 'Let's quote from Mao -- rarely done in this chamber.

Today's Trident debate in the Commons made for a lively affair, as the SNP made their case for the government to veto plans to renew the nuclear deterrent. Not that they were keen on any other parties having their say during the event, with Labour's John Woodcock and Jamie Reed struggling to find an opportunity to have their voice heard. When Woodcock -- who is fiercely pro-Trident -- did get the chance to speak he didn't mince his words, calling the SNP 'robots': 'You see, I would have been happy to take every single one of you robots in getting your instruction, I would have been happy but the thing is Madame Deputy Speaker that the proposal of your motion refuse point blank to take me so I'm not taking any single one of you.' https://soundcloud.

Faced with the prospect of Jeremy Corbyn one day becoming Prime Minister, Lord Sugar said that if elected, we should all move to China. Strong words from the Apprentice star -- who quit the Labour Party after the election over its 'negative' stance on business, yet he doesn't seem all that happy with Britain under Tory rule either. Today Sugar told the Mayor of London that he needed a 'whack' after the millionaire businessman found himself stuck in traffic. 'I have been sitting in Lower Thames st for a bloody hour,' he moaned in a tweet directed at Boris Johnson. 'What a bloody joke, it's getting worse.' It's thought that the delay was in part caused by the East-West Cycle Superhighway. https://twitter.

Since Jeremy Corbyn was elected as Labour leader, his close friend - and rumoured former lover -- Diane Abbott has proved to be one of his most loyal allies. When Abbott -- who has earned the nickname Madame Mao -- isn't spending PLP meetings writing her Christmas cards, the Shadow International Development Secretary can be found defending Corbyn from accusations of sexism, as well as appearing on television to praise the new regime. Still, with rumours circulating that Abbott is being given the cold shoulder by some members of Team Corbyn after a rather disastrous turn on Today, could it be that she is planning to change the way she deals with the media? Mr S only asks as the Labour MP is on the hunt for a Communications Officer.