Steerpike

Michael Gove was out and about with fifty odd Tory activists dressed as Nicola Sturgeon in Westminster today, when he made an extraordinarily bold prediction about next week’s election results. The top Tory claimed that his party would end up with more seats in Scotland than the Labour Party. He also suggested that Sturgeon was more dangerous than Russell Brand, 'because she votes'. While Miliband’s party might well be set for an absolute hammering north of the border next Thursday, they do currently have 41 Scottish seats whereas the Tories have a single constituency. Mr S later asked the Chief Whip to back up his claim.

After Camilla Long claimed on last Friday’s Have I Got News for You that she had spent more time in South Thanet than Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader failed to see the funny side. In fact such offence was taken by party members that one of his team took the unusual step of calling in Kent Police. The police have since rejected the complaint and word now reaches Steerpike that fractions are forming in the party over whether it was wise to report the incident in the first place. ‘We didn’t report her,’ insists a source close to the leader. Instead they say that they merely ‘reported the incident, which is her comments plus the BBC airing them'.

Given that Nigel Lawson served as chancellor of the exchequer in Margaret Thatcher's cabinet, Mr S suspects that the Conservatives will have hoped that they could rely on Lawson for a vote of confidence as polling day approaches. Alas, Lawson says that he has been disappointed by the manner in which the Conservatives have conducted their election campaign.

After Nick Clegg enjoyed a night out at the pub earlier this month, it only seems fair that his wife Miriam González Durántez should also be allowed to let off some steam. So Mr S was glad to see that she was a guest at last night's WIE (Women: Inspiration & Enterprise) Awards Gala at Goldsmiths' Hall. Conscious that her decision to attend a glitzy bash so close to polling day might raise eyebrows, Miriam explained in her speech that she was breaking election etiquette and that Clegg's political advisors would prefer her to be at home: 'Unfortunately General Elections are not seen by political advisers as good times for wives of political leaders to be attending fashion events. They are way too glamorous.

After Mr S's colleague Camilla Swift revealed how the BBC misquoted David Cameron as saying he loved foxhunting when he appeared on the Andrew Marr Show, they were accused by some of showing 'left-wing bias'. Now a new row is brewing between the Tories and the BBC. Perhaps still angry about the BBC's behaviour two weeks ago when Marr interrogated Cameron about his 'favourite' sport, this morning the Prime Minister appeared to take a dig at the corporation's economics editor. Speaking at the Conservatives' small business launch, Cameron told small business owners: 'You are responsible for turn around. Small businesses, entrepreneurs, the grafters. A really big thank you for what you've done. 5,000 businesses wrote in to say continue the job.

The Prime Minister's claim that he supports Aston Villa has never been quite believed by football fans. And today, it seems, he has changed his allegiance - telling an audience (above) that they should support West Ham. CCHQ has not, as yet, come up with an explanation as to why he didn't say Aston Villa (other than the fact that he's no more a Villa fan than Gordon Brown was an Arctic Monkeys fan - his biography has plenty references to villas, but none to Aston Villa). But when the explanation comes, Mr S will update. UPDATE: The Prime Minister may have been exaggerating his attachment to football. Here are some quotes, before he became party leader:- @paulwaugh @MarinaHyde @GaryLineker from Hansard in 2001. Admits not a football fan pic.twitter.

Gordon Brown is saying some strange things. He is being chased out of Fife by the nationalist genie that he pulled out of the bottle, but snarling at the SNP as he does so. He made an extraordinary pledge yesterday when speaking in his soon-to-be-abandoned home of Kirkcaldy. ‘We can’t wait beyond May 8 so within 24 hours a Labour Government will trigger an emergency plan to tackle hunger in Scotland and immediately pay £1 million to ensure food banks across Scotland are better stocked. This is odd: why not give cash to English ones too? Or can they wait beyond May 8 because they're, em, English? Mr S has asked about, and there seems to be no plan to do this in England.