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

Thursday

Steerpike

Jacob Rees-Mogg asks Gove for a Magna Carta

From our UK edition

Jacob Rees-Mogg told the House on Thursday that his favourite activity is making speeches on Europe and 'if the House isn't sitting, I do it at home'. That's not the only place he opines on the subject. Mr S was enjoying some supper at the Savile Club on Wednesday evening, with his comrades from 'Conservatives for Liberty'. The noble sounding group is made up of your average Tory boys, with facial hair that would not have looked out of place in the Continental Army circa 1776. While the evening was meant to be a celebration of the Magna Carta, with David Davis and John Redwood in attendance, the conversation in the room kept going in one direction: Europe.

Steerpike

Revealed: the lords who haven’t paid their bar tabs

From our UK edition

Members of the House of Commons were reprimanded in the media for splashing out £11,000 in just one week in Parliament’s subsidised bars. Still, credit where credit is due, at least the politicians paid for their drinks. This is more than can be said for some members of the House of Lords. Despite the restaurants and bars in the House of Lords being so heavily subsidised that champagne is cut-price and lobster a mere £10 in the Barry Room, a Freedom of Information request shows that some members aren't paying up. As of 8 April, there was an outstanding bill of over a month for £500 worth of food and drink ordered by members of the House of Lords. Among the worst offenders were Lord Razzall, the Lib Dem peer, who owed £114.

Steerpike

Farage’s former aide lets rip about working for Ukip: ‘I totally regret it’

From our UK edition

The Ukip civil war may be over for now but that doesn't mean its casualties aren't still reeling in the aftermath. Nigel Farage's former aide Raheem Kassam has carried out a 'tell-all' interview with the Guardian, after he was forced to step down last month. Speaking about his time working for Ukip, Kassam offers some parting shots against those who crossed him, saying he 'totally' regrets the experience: 'I don’t mean it was a horrible experience. But I’ve taken a big hit for nothing. The only good thing that’s come out of this are friendships ... But have I got anything else apart from looking at much of Ukip and thinking you are just a bunch of ragtag, unprofessional, embarrassing people who let Nigel down at every juncture? No.

Wednesday

Steerpike

Alan Rusbridger and the Sword of Truth

From our UK edition

When Alan Rusbridger stepped down as the editor of the Guardian last month, there were emotional scenes at Guardian HQ as he handed his crown to his successor Katharine Viner. In fact so emotional, that some bright spark thought the storyline was perfect for a film: The video - which Mr S titles 'Alan Rusbridger and the Sword of the Truth' - runs through Rusbridger's achievements while at the paper, and offers startling insight into the man behind the legend as he reveals what he eats for breakfast. 'It's true Guardian editors really do eat muesli,' he tells the camera on the day of the Murdoch hearing. Other highlights include Rusbridger showing off his 'sword of truth'.

Steerpike

Lord Ashcroft opens bidding for the #EdStone

From our UK edition

With the Labour party under increasing scrutiny for taking donations from the trade unions, they may have to start to rely more heavily on private donors. So it's good news that Lord Ashcroft, the former Tory deputy chairman, is willing to help the party out financially. Ashcroft says that if Labour wish to sell the now infamous #EdStone, the 8ft high 'policy cenotaph' Miliband had made to honour Labour's election promises, he will dig deep: https://twitter.com/LordAshcroft/status/608605863595659264 Should the party decide to accept, this would make Ashcroft one of the party's biggest new donors. Given that Lakshmi Mittal, the non-dom steel tycoon who has donated £5.

Steerpike

David Cameron’s intricate knowledge of Chinese Warlords

From our UK edition

The Prime Minister was on boisterous from at PMQs today, welcoming the Labour Party's new found support for an EU referendum in the division lobbies last night. Cameron described it as 'the biggest mass conversion since that Chinese general baptised his troops with a hosepipe'. The green benches were left baffled to what on earth he was talking about. Mr S, as ever, can shed some light on the matter. General Feng Yu Xiang was a Chinese warlord, known as the 'Christian General', who dominated parts of Northern China in the twenties. Born an illiterate peasant in 1882 he converted to Christianity in 1914. Having conquered Beijing in 1928, Feng Yu Xiang was exiled in 1930 after an awkward relationship with Communist Russia.

Steerpike

Nicola Sturgeon puts (lung free) haggis on the menu in America

From our UK edition

Steerpike has long been a champion of the fight to get America to lift the ban on Scottish haggis being imported into their country. So Mr S was cheered to hear that Nicola Sturgeon has been doing her bit to fly the flag for the national dish on her trip to America. The New York Post reports that Sturgeon's team made some last minute menu requests ahead of a work lunch at Incognito Italian bistro in New York, following her appearance on Jon Stewart's Daily Show. The Scottish-Italian proprietors Paolo Montana and Adriana Moretti reportedly proposed an all-Italian menu, but Sturgeon’s team asked them to also include Scottish classics 'like highland haggis and smoked Scottish salmon'.

Tuesday

Steerpike

Is this the reason Miliband forgot to mention the deficit in his conference speech?

From our UK edition

Earlier this month Patrick Wintour wrote an in-depth profile of Ed Miliband's failed election campaign for the Guardian. In it, he went through the different things which had gone wrong for the Labour Party in the lead up to the election. He began the piece by focussing on Miliband's speech in September at the Labour Conference where he forgot to mention the deficit - a mistake that cost him later in the campaign. Wintour says that according to a Labour source, a late change to his speech to include Isis meant he was 'off his game': 'He was not quite sure in his head where he was, so when he got to the bit where the deficit should have been, he just started a different section.

Steerpike

Another day, another Ukip ‘unresignation’

From our UK edition

After Nigel Farage stepped down as leader of the Ukip party following his defeat in South Thanet, he hastily 'unresigned' days later. The move led to a Ukip civil war which saw Patrick O'Flynn rebel against the party leader, leading to both of Farage's senior aides standing down. Now one of his advisors has had their resignation rejected and their contract renewed. After Mr S revealed last month that Matthew Richardson, the party secretary, was expected to 'unresign', the Times' Red Box reports today that Richardson's contract has been extended with the party refusing to accept his resignation. A Ukip party spokesman confirms the reappointment to Steerpike: 'The post of Party secretary is a two year appointment.

Steerpike

Coming soon: Ivan Massow vs Iain Dale

From our UK edition

When Ivan Massow appeared on LBC last month, the London mayoral hopeful had a car crash interview. He was outed on air for advertising for a campaign assistant for his mayoral bid at a rate of £6.50 per hour, below the London living wage, despite preaching about how expensive it is to live in London. What's more, the fact that he was employing someone on a wage below the living wage appeared to come as something of a surprise to the businessman, which can be viewed from the 7.40 mark on the video: 'We don't actually have anyone on that... oh God.' The incident provoked the ire of LBC presenter Iain Dale who was quick to blast Massow on Twitter: Ivan Massow wants to be Mayor of London. If he can't answer this simple question from @ShelaghFogarty... http://t.

Steerpike

Cameron’s former speechwriter Clare Foges launches attack on Tories

From our UK edition

David Cameron's recently departed speechwriter Clare Foges earned the affectionate nickname 'the Prime Minister's Larynx' for her work assisting Cameron with his public speaking, so her Times column today will make for some interesting reading for her former colleagues in No. 10. Despite the Tories winning a majority in the election, Foges, who used to work as an ice cream driver, has offered the Conservatives a shopping list on how they can 'reset their image' and shrug off their 'nasty party' tag. The poet, who has been working for Cameron since 2009, calls for the Department of Health to be made a cross party department - presumably by appointing both Burnham and Hunt, as well as suggesting Cameron makes National Citizen Service compulsory.

Monday

Steerpike

Concert steward does not feel the love at Elton John gig

From our UK edition

Sorry was not the hardest word in Gloucester last night after Sir Elton John lost it live on stage with a lowly crowd steward, yelling: 'You f--king stewards, who do you think you are? This is my f--king concert, who are you? .... especially you with the f--king blonde ponytail, you're a f--king c--- ... Yes you, this isn't f--king China, now piss off. My fans have paid good money and if they want to wave their f--king arms they f--king can. Do you hear me? Now piss off!' The charming singer was soon apologising for his tantrum, welcoming said female steward to the stage by way of an apology: Of course, this is not the first time Sir Elton has lost it on stage. Mr S recalls a story told by David Paton, lead singer of 70s chart-toppers Pilot.

Steerpike

Coffee Shots: Merkel and Obama have it out

From our UK edition

Mr S isn't sure who would win in a fight between Angela Merkel and Barack Obama. However, judging by this photo of the duo together at the G7 summit we may soon get to find out. A lively game of charades? A reenactment of the Sound of Music? Or, have relations between America and Germany become even more strained? Caption suggestions welcome.

Steerpike

Sol Campbell enters Tory mayoral race: ‘I’m in it to win it’

From our UK edition

Sol Campbell has thrown his hat into the ring to represent the Conservative Party in the 2016 London mayoral election. The official announcement comes after the former England footballer voiced his interest in the position earlier this year when he was rumoured to be lined up as a parliamentary candidate for Kensington. This means the Tories now have three candidates who have announced they will stand to be the party's candidate for Mayor of London, with Ivan Massow Stephen Greenhalgh already having declared. While both Massow and Campbell lack a background in politics, it is expected that more candidates will announce in the coming weeks ahead of the Conservative Way Forward hustings taking place next month.

Saturday

Steerpike

Is Zac Goldsmith too posh to run for Mayor of London?

From our UK edition

Given that Zac Goldsmith once likened the possibility of himself running for City Hall to 'a suicide mission', it comes as little surprise that not everyone in the Tory camp is ecstatic about the Richmond Park MP's rumoured London mayoral bid. Mr S understands that there are concerns that after Labour increased its control of the capital in the general election, the Old Etonian, who is currently the odds-on favourite to be the Conservative candidate, may be viewed as too posh to appeal to the more diverse London boroughs. As a result, Steerpike hears that there is growing support in the Conservative camp for Syed Kamall to go for the top job.

Friday

Steerpike

A very bard spelling mistake

From our UK edition

‘Perhaps the most superb work in the language’ said Thomas de Quincey of Shakespeare's rarely-performed The Two Noble Kinsmen. It's a shame then that the 'Instant Classics' theatre company, who are putting the work on at the White Bear Theatre in South London this summer, do not have the same grasp of the English tongue. In a press release announcing the show they managed to spell William Shakespeare incorrectly: 'Shakespears Two Noble Kinsmen comes to the White Bear' Mr S is not sure this bodes well for the performance.

Steerpike

Milifan turns the air blue on Daily Politics

From our UK edition

Just in case you missed the memo, the reason Ed Miliband lost the election has now been revealed. Labour supporter and founder of the Twitter account @cooledmiliband, Richard Biggs, appeared on the Daily Politics to discuss the future of the Milifandom now their beloved leader has returned to the backbenches. Revealing his disgust at the result of the general election, Biggs declared that Miliband is simply 'too good for this f---ing country'. An interesting take, but given the fact he turned the air blue, Mr S can't see the Milifan being invited back by the BBC anytime soon.

Thursday

Steerpike

Has Mhairi Black been trespassing in George Osborne’s office?

From our UK edition

Since the 56 SNP MPs entered Parliament, they have taken to 'rebelling' against the establishment in a number of ways. So far they have focussed their time on trying to nab Dennis Skinner's seat, going against Commons' etiquette by clapping in the chamber, and purchasing white roses for the Queen's Speech. Now they also appear to have had enough of corridors. Stewart McDonald, the SNP MP, claims that the Commons' youngest MP Mhairi Black has come up with a shortcut through Parliament that involves walking through the Chancellor of the Exchequer's office: https://twitter.com/StewartMcDonald/status/606421503027101697 And there was Mr S thinking that Black was beginning to prove the naysayers wrong.

Steerpike

Alex Salmond tells Anna Soubry to ‘behave yourself, woman’

From our UK edition

Alex Salmond's reintroduction to Parliament has hit a few bumps in the road this week. He was criticised on Tuesday when he appeared to use Charles Kennedy's death as an opportunity to push Scottish independence. Now, Salmond has told Anna Soubry, the small business minister, to 'behave herself, woman'. During a House of Commons debate last night on devolution, he stopped his speech and scolded Soubry for her behaviour in the chamber: 'Luckily the honourable lady is on the front bench so therefore won't be standing for chair on one of these select committees, otherwise she would have done her chances no good whatsoever.

Steerpike

Doggy Dispatch: Marriage problems afoot between Osborne and Gove

From our UK edition

Could there be trouble in doggy paradise? Sarah Vine has previously revealed that their family dog Snowy (a Bichon 'ish' dog, who was the runner up in the Westminster Dog of the Year, 2015) is 'married' to Lola, George Osborne's bichon frise. But could it be that Lola has been forced into this canine partnership? Word reaches Steerpike that Osborne's pedigree pup is having difficulty interacting with other dogs. Mr S's newshound says that she is regularly spotted being taken for walks in St James's Park, where it has been noticed that Lola has a fear of other dogs. Perhaps it's best not to expect a litter of Tory puppies any time soon.