Steerpike, Author at The Spectator

Thursday

12 March 2015

Times columnist comes to the defence of ‘Two Kitchens’ Miliband

Mr Steerpike was interested to see Jenni Russell springing to Ed Miliband’s defence after Sarah Vine took a pop at his kitchen in the Daily Mail. Mrs Gove described his kitchen as ‘drab’ and said it made her want to ‘bring him over some fresh brownies’. Thankfully, as Times columnist Russell points out, this is not his main kitchen. It is in fact his ‘ functional kitchenette’: Ed Miliband's kitchen is lovely. Daily Mail pix: the functional kitchenette by sitting room for tea and quick snacks. — Jenni Russell (@jennirsl) March 12, 2015 Mr S imagines Russell is a fairly reliable source when it comes to the living arrangements of the Miliband family, given that the Labour leader is godfather to her child.

Steerpike

Miliband could teach Rusbridger a thing or two about meeting men on Hampstead Heath

This morning Alan Rusbridger received a police caution for ‘illegal use of a tripod’ on Hampstead Heath. The Guardian editor has since written a blog detailing his brush with the law. The London police have been trying to nick an editor for years. Today they got one - me http://t.co/IatiJR0ELR — alan rusbridger (@arusbridger) March 12, 2015 The incident began when a man took offence at photos Rusbridger was taking with David Levene. 'He ran down the hill shouting that I had no right to take pictures and I’d better effing delete them. As he got nearer he became a rather large and shouty speck, sweat beading on his bald head as he bellowed in my face. We were effing out of order.

Steerpike

CCHQ chaos as meeting invites go to Labour

Yesterday Mr S reported how Labour have enlisted the help of people with identical names to Tory leaders for their latest email campaign. Lame as it may be, they have at least managed to send their emails to the right people. Alas, the same cannot be said for the brains at CCHQ this week. Word reaches Steerpike that invitations meant for Conservatives have been winging their way to members of the opposition. First, a Labour MP's assistant received a call from CCHQ inviting her to help campaign for a Tory MP's marginal seat. When the Labour employee asked who they thought they were speaking to, the reply was Nick de Bois's office: 'It was very odd.

Wednesday

11 March 2015

Steerpike

Labour’s lame ‘same-name’ email campaign

‘Labour has vowed not to feature Prime Minister David Cameron on billboards ahead of the general election,' reported the BBC last month. ‘The party said it would focus on issues rather than personalities. and not use negative personal campaigning.’ It seems that has not stretched to the party’s email campaigning though. Steerpike’s inbox has been inundated with fundraising emails from all of the parties, but a particularly naff example is doing the rounds today. Labour appear to have enlisted the help of people with identical names to Tory leaders to send out emails. Such as: I couldn't resist jumping on the bandwagon here! I'm a Labour Party member of 25 years' standing.

Steerpike

Gordon Brown’s jewellery gaffe at No.10

Sarah Brown has teamed up with Astley Clarke to bring out a bracelet to raise funds for her Theirworld children’s charity. At the jewellery launch at Mondrian London, the company's founder Bec Astley Clarke described how she first met Brown. 'Eight years ago when Astley Clarke was a slightly smaller business, I was sitting at my desk looking at web orders that had to be dispatched that day, and I got quite excited. One of the dispatches was going to none other than number 10 Downing Street. I thought to myself "that is so sweet, the Prime Minister has taken time out of his busy schedule to buy his wife a romantic gift from Astley Clarke".

Steerpike

BBC catering is enough to make anyone resort to violence

Yesterday Jeremy Clarkson was suspended from Top Gear by the BBC following a 'fracas' with a member of staff. Today, the Telegraph reports that the incident occurred on set in Newcastle after the Top Gear presenter grew angry about the lack of catering arrangements for the crew, allegedly leading him to punch a show producer. While sources close to Clarkson deny any punch-up occurred, the BBC are still pushing ahead with plans to drop the remaining Top Gear episodes from their broadcasting schedule.

Steerpike

Alan Bennett shows how hypocrisy is a National issue

Alan Bennett announced on Radio 4 last week that 'hypocrisy' is the defining characteristic of the English. 'In England, what we do best is lip service,' he sighed, before going on to admit that even he is a hypocrite. While many have taken issue with his claim, Mr S was reminded of Bennett's words on a recent trip to the National Theatre. The playwright – a Primrose Hill millionaire who claims to hate rich privilege - has just penned a fluffy essay about soon-to-retire National boss Sir Nicholas Hytner (who just happens to have used public money to stage Bennett’s latest play People). The essay appears in programmes at the National and gushes that Hytner is: 'never the star of his own productions.

Tuesday

10 March 2015

Steerpike

Jeremy Clarkson suspended from Top Gear

Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended from Top Gear following an alleged 'fracas' with a producer. What's more, there will be no episode airing this Sunday while the BBC looks into the incident. A BBC spokesman confirms the suspension: 'Following a fracas with a BBC producer, Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended pending an investigation. No one else has been suspended. Top Gear will not be broadcast this Sunday. The BBC will be making no further comment at this time.' While no more details are currently known regarding the incident, the news is likely to cheer Clarkson's critics who have been calling for his suspension for some time now.

Steerpike

Alan Rusbridger vs Max Hastings: round two

After Max Hastings wrote a column for the Daily Mail arguing that civil liberties groups should not get in the way of government security, Alan Rusbridger took the former Daily Telegraph editor to task for his comments. Speaking at a Big Brother Watch event last month, the Guardian editor offered up four reasons why Hastings was wrong to say that he could not 'imagine what harm can result from MI5 accessing the phone calls, bank accounts, emails of you, me or any other law-abiding citizen'. Rusbridger couldn't resist taking another pop at Hastings this morning for a column in today's Mail on the police 'witch-hunt' which saw Field Marshal Lord Bramall's home searched. In it Hastings asks: 'What sort of Britain have we created that such things can happen?

Steerpike

Tory whips found offering cash to MPs

A brave message from the Tory Whip's Office last night, that sent Mr S's pager buzzing: 'Some cash has been found on the stairs leading up to the Ministerial Corridor - If you think this maybe yours please contact the whips admin unit on 4333' There was not quite the stampede you might have expected from a group of MPs offered the prospect of easy cash, but then again our honourable members are spending most of their time in the shires as the election nears. Either that, or paranoia about the next Dispatches 'cash for access' sting is really setting in.

Steerpike

Knopa-gate: Could Crufts winner be stripped of her title?

This year's Crufts has been something of a doggy disaster with one canine competitor dead from an alleged poisoning and six more cases being investigated. Now, Mr S has got wind of a new scandal engulfing the dog competition. A petition has been launched calling for the winning Scottish Terrier Knopa to be stripped of her Best in Show award. However, rather than Knopa, who beat 21,000 dogs to the title, being at fault, it is the Scottie dog's handler Rebecca Cross who has provoked ire from the public. Viewers have complained after Cross, who is American, appeared to pick the dog up by the neck and tail. This is forbidden in Britain under show rules, and many see it as unnecessarily cruel to the animal.

Monday

9 March 2015

Steerpike

Andrew Lansley snubbed – again – as Stephen O’Brien heads off to the UN

Poor old Andrew Lansley. When he quit as Health Secretary he was touted as Britain's next EU Commissioner - that didn't happen. In return for agreeing to stand down from parliament, he was promised another sinecure. David Cameron had been lining up his former Health Secretary (and former mentor) to become UN humanitarian affairs and emergency relief co-ordinator. But Mr S understands that this idea was rejected by UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, because he didn't want Cameron's cast-offs. 'Ban didn't want a job like this being used as some kind of compensation,' says one well-placed source. 'He wanted to know: if Lansley isn't good enough for the Conservative Party why would be be good enough for the UN?

Steerpike

Commons sexism row: Barry Sheerman calls Esther McVey a ‘hard-hearted Hannah’

Things became heated in the commons today after Barry Sheerman told Esther McVey to stop being a 'hard-hearted Hannah' during a Department for Work and Pensions questions. The incident occurred after Sheerman voiced his concerns over the department's handling of the government's welfare reforms. McVey has taken none too kindly to the term, which is a reference to an Ella Fitzgerald song. The Conservative MP says that it is 'not the first time that the opposition benches have been like this to me'. Sheerman meanwhile insists his innocence, claiming it was not a sexist comment.

Steerpike

Ruby Wax takes a swipe at Bill Gates

Mr S was a guest at the press night of Ruby Wax's one woman show at the St James Theatre. The comedian gave the audience a break down of her best selling book Sane New World, which tells you how to train your brain to cope with the demands of the 21st century. The topic of ambition was raised, with Wax making the point that drive isn't always a healthy thing to have. She cited Bill Gates, who she once attempted to interview, as an example of an ambitious person who might not have it all: 'Social media, magazines and the internet can make you crazy to be the best or to be a winner like Richard Branson. We can’t have it all though. This is seen as ambition and a great thing to have until we burn out or go crazy.

Steerpike

Nigel Farage calls for Electoral Commission to be closed down after FUKP decision

Mr S's disclosure that the Electoral Commission have approved Al Murray's Freedom United Kingdom Party as an official party for the election has not gone down well with Nigel Farage. The leader of Ukip says the decision is a 'disgrace' as FUKP are a joke party. Speaking at the Ukip South West conference, Farage called for everyone in the commission to lose their jobs as a result of the decision: 'If you add to that the scandal of postal voting fraud, I want everyone in the Electoral Commission fired and the organisation closed down.' Farage will now have to compete against the comedian for the South Thanet seat.

Saturday

7 March 2015

Steerpike

Good news for the Class War candidate in Kensington

After Mr S brought you the news last week that old-school anarchist and 'Class War' editor Ian Bone wanted to run in Kensington, his class struggle group - in a surprisingly officious process - held an 'adoption meeting' for him last night to make him their candidate. Bone updates Steerpike on his strategy: 'If Dan Snow is adopted as Tory candidate there will be rioting in the streets - we'll make sure of that. There is no way people here will tolerate the Duke of Westminster's son-in-law being foisted on them.' Well Mr S has good news for both Bone and the citizens of Kensington. Dan Snow is not going to be the Tory candidate. You can put the Molotov cocktails down now.

Friday

6 March 2015

Steerpike

Exclusive: Electoral Commission gives Al Murray’s party the green light

Oh dear, Mr S has some bad news for Nigel Farage. The Ukip leader's South Thanet rival Al Murray has had his application to make the Freedom United Kingdom Party an officially registered political party approved. This means that he can now run for the coveted seat in May. The Electoral Commission has given the application the green light despite reservations from Ukip supporters that FUKP is too similar to Ukip so could muddle voters. A spokesman for the commission confirms the news: 'I can confirm that Al Murray’s party has had the name Free United Kingdom Party approved by the Electoral Commission. We have informed the party of our decision.

Steerpike

Ukip should not attack others for attacks

‘What I'm seeing in this election is the influence of these big American advisers and it's becoming the most negative, personal and nasty campaign I've ever seen.’ So said Nigel Farage to LBC this morning, as he promised to ‘rise above’ personal attacks in the coming election slog. Stung by rumours about his declining health, fingers are being pointed about a certain antipodean master of the dark arts, but are Ukip really in any position to lecture on the Americanisation of our political process?

Steerpike

Nigel Farage’s birthday message for Lord Ashcroft

As Lord Ashcroft turned 69 this week, the international businessman celebrated with a polling event on his birthday to announce the impending Labour bloodbath north of the border: 'Good evening and welcome. If you have ever wondered what a pollster does to celebrate his birthday, now you know. Somebody kindly asked me this morning if this was the big “four-O”, and I was compelled to admit this estimate was outside the margin of error.' Curiously, Mr S hears that the only party leader to wish the former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party a happy birthday was Ukip's Nigel Farage. With Ashcroft's polls currently putting Ukip slightly behind the Tories in South Thanet, perhaps Farage is hoping he can inspire a boost in fortune in his next poll.

Steerpike

Tony Blair spotted fine dining in Burma following his ‘blood money’ Labour donation

This week Tony Blair donated £106,000 to the Labour Party, with £1,000 going to each Labour candidate fighting for a target seat. Ed Miliband has since faced flak for accepting the 'blood money' funds, due to unease over the source of the cash given Blair’s dealings with dictatorships such as Kazakhstan. Not that any of this is worrying Blair. Mr S hears that the former Labour leader has been busy sunning himself in Myanmar, where human rights are regarded as among the worst in the world. Blair, who has an estimated worth of nearly £100 million, was spied fine dining in the country's capital Naypyitaw. When a journalist inquired as to what he was doing there, they were told that he was in Burma for 'private meetings'.