Steerpike

Steerpike

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

Tuesday

Steerpike

Rachel Johnson lifts the lid on Newsnight

Rachel Johnson has never been shy of using her Notting Hill neighbours as a source of 'inspiration' for her series of chick-lit Notting Hell books. Her latest book Fresh Hell is no exception. It follows a character rallying against a major basement conversion in a storyline not dissimilar to Johnson's own efforts to oppose her neighbour's plans for such underground developments. However, another plotline in the book has caught Mr S's eye. The novel follows Notting Hill journalist Mimi going on Newsnight - the current affairs programme which Johnson has appeared on in the past - to name and shame her basement digging neighbour.

Monday

Steerpike

Miliband welcomed back to Twitter

Ed Miliband is clearly struggling to find his place in a post Ed Miliband world. Despite MPs from his own party suggesting the former Labour leader was 'hanging around like an awkward relative at a funeral', Miliband has not shied away from Westminster. Given the comprehensive thumping Ed took at the ballot box, he took a bold decision today to take to Twitter to slam the Prime Minister - remember that guy who beat him last month. A brave decision, if not a wise one. The response was quick and ruthless, and you'd have to have a heart of stone not to laugh: https://twitter.com/DJYems/status/612985229507198976 https://twitter.com/Chav68898982/status/612985260511526912 https://twitter.com/mephistofish/status/612982532448079872 https://twitter.

Steerpike

Nigel Farage slips into the background at charity cricket match

With taxpayers currently facing the prospect of a £3 billion bill in order to stop Parliament turning into a 'ruin', perhaps it's time the Speaker took a note out of Baroness Benjamin's book in order to reduce the cost to the taxpayer. During a Walking with the Wounded charity cricket match at the weekend, Floella Benjamin managed to tempt a bidder to pay £800 for a tour of the crumbling building. [caption id="attachment_9168172" align="alignright" width="300"] Lady Kitty Spencer and Baroness Benjamin[/caption] 'You realise that the Houses of Parliament soon will not be occupied by either the Lords or the MPs, so this is actually a chance to see something before it is restored,' she told an audience which included Nick Compton and Lady Kitty Spencer.

Steerpike

Charlotte Church takes her anti-austerity message to Glastonbury

Last week festival goers were disappointed to learn that Foo Fighters had cancelled their headline slot at Glastonbury. While bookies were quick to offer odds on the different musical giants who could take their place at the music festival which takes places this weekend, the organisers ended up simply moving Florence and the Machine, who were already performing at the festival, up to the headline slot. However, fans who were keen for a new act can at least take heart that another artist has been added to the line-up. Step forward Charlotte Church. The classical singer turned anti-austerity 'prosecco socialist' will now appear at the festival on Sunday in a Left Field debate to talk about politics.

Friday

Steerpike

War of words: Louise Mensch vs Peter Hitchens (or could it be Steerpike?)

While Mr S is used to reporting from the sideline on Twitter wars, he tends to refrain from taking part in them. So Steerpike was amused to find himself in Louise Mensch's firing line this morning. His sin? Being Peter Hitchens, apparently. Mensch accused the Mail on Sunday columnist of being the author of this very column. She said that unlike Hitchens, she didn't write stories about him. When Hitchens pointed out that he hadn't written about Mensch for seven years, the former Tory MP suggested that he was in fact... Mr Steerpike: https://twitter.com/LouiseMensch/status/611841143047880705 https://twitter.

Steerpike

Sajid does funny — and Suzanne avoids the hacks

Last night’s Institute of Economic Affairs sixtieth birthday bash may have had Sajid Javid as their big name keynote speaker but it was another politician on the guest list at the East London venue who made the biggest impression. Ukip's Suzanne Evans turned up at the party less than an hour after the BBC had published a leaked email from a member of the party saying she was banned from media appearances. In fairness, Evans appeared happy to oblige these demands, and was keen to keep a close distance from prying hacks. Appropriately for a wonk-shop set up by a chicken farmer, poultry was on the menu.

Thursday

Steerpike

Coffee Shots: Introducing ‘ISIS Schools’

Earlier this week the chief inspector of schools Sir Michael Wilshaw warned that schools needed to show Muslim pupils that they are valued by society in order to stop them running off to join ISIS. So Mr S was surprised to hear that there is an 'ISIS school' operating in Greenwich: On closer inspection, the school is one of a number of 'ISIS schools' based in Britain and Canada, teaching English to foreign students. Mr S suspects it's time they considered a rebrand, starting with their name.

Steerpike

Ed Balls hired by Harvard to ‘research financial stability’

During the election, Ed Miliband's opponents regularly criticised the Labour leader for naming his life experience outside the Westminster bubble as 'teaching at Harvard'. Still, the naysayers haven't put his former sidekick Ed Balls off returning to the university he once studied at. Today the ousted Labour MP has confirmed reports that he is joining the Ivy League establishment as a senior fellow. In a statement John Haigh, the executive Dean of the Kennedy School, announced the appointment: 'We’re delighted to welcome Ed Balls to the Mossavar-Rahmani business and government centre.

Steerpike

Labour’s ‘attack dog’ turns on Laura Kuenssberg over BBC debate

Last night's Newsnight Labour leadership debate proved to be a rather dull affair with all four hopefuls failing to make a strong impression. While many were quick to suggest that this was down to lacklustre leadership candidates, party members have come up with a different reason the broadcast failed to impress. Step forward Laura Kuenssberg: Labour's 'attack dog' Michael Dugher -- who is backing Andy Burnham for leader -- appeared to point the finger of blame at the Newsnight presenter for her chairing of the debate.

Wednesday

Steerpike

Backbench ‘plot’ deprives Alan Mak of his favourite spot at PMQs

Unfortunate timing for ambitious new Tory MP Alan Mak to be turned over by the Times today, after he was on the order paper to ask a prominent question at PMQs. Mr S's fellow diarist at the Times wrote this morning: 'Alan Mak (Conservative, Havant) has been an MP for only a month and already his self-promotion is getting up people’s noses. Bad enough to send his maiden speech to everyone in Downing Street, he then baggsed the seat behind David Cameron for last week’s prime minister’s questions and with it a brief TV appearance.' Now Mr S hears there was a concerted effort today not to let Mak take up his new found favourite spot before PMQs. A colleague laments: 'Mak hadn't managed to to bagsy his usual seat up the PM's backside for the first time today.

Steerpike

Coffee Shots: Jeremy Clarkson is back on the BBC

Last night Chris Evans was announced as Jeremy Clarkson's Top Gear successor, following Clarkson's fracas with a BBC producer. However, this doesn't mean Clarkson won't be appearing on the BBC anytime soon. In fact, despite previously calling those at the corporation 'f---ing b-----ds', Clarkson has already made a star appearance on BBC2 this lunchtime as part of their tennis coverage. Clearly not too downhearted by Evans' appointment, the former Top Gear presenter decided to use his free time to take in some tennis at Queen's. This led to some scintillating commentary from the BBC tennis pundits as they tried to avoid the topic of Clarkson's untimely departure: Andrew Cotter: Big names here as well, Jeremy looks like he knows what he's talking about.

Steerpike

Liz Kendall on safe ground for Newsnight debate

Tonight's Newsnight debate will see the four Labour leadership hopefuls -- Liz Kendall, Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Jeremy Corbyn -- head to Nuneaton in a bid to boost their campaigns. Given that this week, Kendall's supporters have been dubbed the 'New Labour Taliban' by a Labour source, relations are likely to be strained between the four. However, Kendall can at least take heart that she is on safe ground in Nuneaton, a seat which Labour failed to win the election. The party's candidate in the election, Vicky Fowler is backing Kendall.

Tuesday

Steerpike

Chris Evans performs U-turn over Top Gear job

After Jeremy Clarkson was suspended from Top Gear following a fracas with a show producer, reports soon emerged claiming Chris Evans would be his replacement. However, the radio host was quick to 'categorically' deny these reports: https://twitter.com/achrisevans/status/575611650260254720 While Mr S had been more than happy to 'discount' his candidacy, it turns out that Evans should really never say never. The BBC have announced today that Evans is in fact Clarkson's successor. He confirmed the news in a statement: 'I’m thrilled, Top Gear is my favourite programme of all time. Created by a host of brilliant minds who love cars and understand how to make the massively complicated come across as fun, devil-may-care and effortless.

Steerpike

Richard Desmond: I made £5,000 profit from Labour donation

Although Richard Desmond recently pledged his allegiance to Ukip's Nigel Farage, the media mogul previously backed Tony Blair, with the owner of the Express papers donating £100,000 to Labour in 2001. Now, in his new biography Richard Desmond: The Real Deal, Desmond claims that he made a £5,000 profit from the donation. Desmond writes that the donation came about after he attended a dinner with Lord Alli: 'Waheed said Tony really liked me. Would I make a contribution to the party? What they didn’t realise was that I had put everything I’d ever had – some £37 million – into the Express, along with £97 million that I had borrowed, my house and half my pension pot.

Steerpike

Battle of the pundits: Owen Jones vs ‘the Katie Hopkins of the Blairite right’

Today the BBC invited arch-enemies Dan Hodges and Owen Jones onto Daily Politics to discuss the Labour leadership battle. What began as a civil exchanging of views over Jeremy Corbyn's inclusion on the ballot, rapidly turned into an all-out spat with Jones calling Hodges 'the Katie Hopkins of the Blairite right': DH: You've insisted he's on the ballot, he's on the ballot. Do you now want him to win? OJ: Yeah, I'll be supporting and fighting for Jeremy Corbyn DH: So you genuinely think if Jeremy Corbyn is leader of the Labour party, the British people will elect Jeremy Corbyn?

Monday

Steerpike

Lionel Richie is an unusual ‘Face in the Crowd’ on Parliament visit

You might expect to see Lionel Richie pass outside your door, if you were in the Ivy last night, or in the VIP yurt of this month's Glastonbury Festival. But hello, which peer was he looking for this afternoon? The global superstar and former Commodores front man was accompanied by Lord Levy, after the two hit it off last week at an anniversary dinner for Jewish Care. Lord Levy appeared to be giving him a tour almost up there on the ceiling: https://twitter.com/ParlyApp/status/610445837563465728 https://twitter.com/BBCJLandale/status/610448057440804864 https://twitter.com/ParlyApp/status/610449582565261312 Richie was not up there all night long though, however, and was spotted heading off in the direction of the Speaker's Office.

Steerpike

David Starkey defends his comments comparing the SNP to the Nazis

Over the weekend, David Starkey caused outrage in Scotland when he compared the SNP to the Nazis. While the SNP MP Kirsten Oswald was quick to dismiss Starkey as a 'serial utterer of bile and bilge', others called for an apology from the historian. So, how did Starkey feel this morning having had time to reflect on his comments? Turns out, he didn't feel all that different. Answering a question on Sky News about whether he regretted his comments, Starkey said he did not, explaining that he stood by what he had said: Starkey said the SNP were a 'virulently nationalist party' and blamed political correctness for the backlash: 'It's time we call things by their proper names. That's all I'm trying to do.

Steerpike

Lesley Garrett: Labour chose the wrong Miliband brother

As a Doncaster resident, Lesley Garrett is well acquainted with her local MP Ed Miliband. However, the soprano was left disappointed by Labour's effort in the general election. In an interview ahead of her performance in Garsington Opera’s production of Così fan tutte, Garrett -- who is a loyal Labour supporter -- blamed their election defeat in part on the party choosing the wrong Miliband brother to lead the party: 'Yes. I think most people do. I think his brother had more experience, and a more authoritative voice. I think Ed was very good at what he did, and I think the two of them together would have been unstoppable.

Steerpike

Jeremy Clarkson returns to the BBC to work on Top Gear

After Jeremy Clarkson was suspended by the BBC over an alleged fracas with a Top Gear producer, the presenter got on stage at a charity bash and told the audience that the BBC were ‘f—ing b—–ds’. Clarkson was later sacked and the corporation went to such lengths to erase the memory of the presenter from their channels that they pixelated his face in an episode of W1A. So Mr S was glad to hear that relations are now more amiable. The BBC have confirmed reports today that Clarkson recently undertook new work for the BBC, recording a voiceover for a final Top Gear special: 'He has done the voiceover for Top Gear. He came in to the BBC the week before last.