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

Andrew Marr’s Mystery Lady

From our UK edition

One can wait for years for a good Sunday TV presenter scandal to break, and then two come along at once. Sky’s married Sunday morning host Dermot Murnaghan was caught by the People canoodling in Hyde Park with a make up artist half his age, while the BBC’s Andrew Marr was busted by the Mirror appearing

The peer who came in from the cold

From our UK edition

Mr Steerpike reported last week that the Tories’ shadowy donor-cum-puppetmaster, Lord Ashcroft was shunned in America. But it’s not all bad news for the man dubbed the sleaze of Belize. Last night Downing Street announced that he has been appointed to the Privy Council and made ‘Special Representative for Veterans’ Transition’. While the worthiness of

Team GB meets Team GQ

From our UK edition

In what Bono described to me as ‘the best of the smaller ones’, the stars of Team GB stole the show at last night’s GQ Men of the Year awards. Presented with a special team award by Lord Coe, the A-list crowd were on their feet at the Royal Opera House for the Olympic contingent.

How Danny Finkelstein botched the reshuffle

From our UK edition

Word reaches Mr Steerpike that Times columnist Danny Finkelstein played a decisive role in the reshuffle. As is widely known, Danny speaks to George Osborne regularly and those inside Whitehall know that what he says (or writes) today you can normally expect Osborne to say or do tomorrow. So when he started explaining to Newsnight viewers

Say Nay to Kay

From our UK edition

There I was, enjoying a liquid lunch with a senior Tory who is long beyond accepting any front bench job, when we were interrupted by his vibrating iPhone. He raised an eyebrow at the private number. Could this be the call of which more ambitious men have been dreaming all reshuffle-day? Apparently not. ‘Hello… yes, yes

Pippa Middleton cashes in

From our UK edition

Mr Steerpike was overcome with joy when he read the press release from Pippa Middleton’s publishers. It told him that her forthcoming book Celebrate will be a ‘useful, practical and inspiring journey into British-themed occasions, focusing on tradition.’ Well, thank goodness for that. What a treat. Over to the sister-in-waiting: ‘This book is designed to be

Giles Coren’s Twitter Eulogy

From our UK edition

The saying goes that the only silver lining at the end of a political career is the chance to read your own obituary without actually dying. For Giles Coren, the speculation that he had ‘quit Twitter’ was the twenty first century equivalent. It was not all good news though. After a characteristically bad tempered exchange with

Lord Ashcroft frozen out, again

From our UK edition

The Tories’ shadowy donor-cum-puppetmaster has been given the cold shoulder, yet again. Taking full proprietor privileges at ConservativeHome, he’s taken aim at young Dave’s departed brain, Steve Hilton. It seems that the guru has left the Lord of Belize off his Republican National Convention party guest list: ‘Apparently, the event to be seen at is

To Russia with love

From our UK edition

A surprisingly large turn-out last night for the launch of the Conservative Friends of Russia, given the recent ‘Pussy Riot’ trial mess. A notable absence from the Kremlin ambassador’s garden was Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the group’s Hon. President. There was also a distinct absence of parliamentarians. Lumbering up to the plate was John Wittingdale, whose

A messy end to a Royal era

From our UK edition

Who said posh youths don’t riot? Head down to South Kensington tonight for some Bullingdon-style antics: the nightclub Boujis is inviting loyal regulars to smash the place up before closing time. Guests are invited to leave their mark by scribbling over the walls before literally pulling down the decor – all aided by ‘construction girls’.

Johann Hari’s apology gets lost in the post

From our UK edition

Over the pond journalists are one by one being accused of plagiarism, while here our old friend Johann Hari popped back up on my radar. Though the Indy columnist was eventually disgraced for conducting mythical interviews, he never properly addressed other accusations of smearing rivals and colleagues on Wikipedia and in comment sections across the

Exclusive: Delingpole says no to Corby run

From our UK edition

With a heavy heart Mr Steerpike must be the bearer of bad of news. James Delingpole, of this parish, has ruled himself out of the running in the Corby by-election for UKIP or any other party. In light of the growing Draft Delingpole campaign, he told me this afternoon: ‘After much thought: No. I want to

Any Spice is too much

From our UK edition

It’s actually happening. Leaked rehearsal snaps (via Twitter) confirm the very worst suspicions about the Olympic closing ceremony. Yes, that’s right – The Spice Girls are reforming and will take to the stage atop five black cabs. What have we done to deserve this? Wasn’t dancing NHS nurses and ‘sick’ children bouncing on trampoline beds

Delingpole moots run

From our UK edition

The campaign to draft James Delingpole into Parliament, revealed here yesterday, is gathering pace. Delingpole himself has broken cover to declare that he was already moving to Northamptonshire – the scene of the upcoming by-election. ‘I’m torn, I must say… though I can’t claim to have taken quite as many drugs as Louise Mensch apparently

The sad death of St. Stephen’s Club

From our UK edition

Word reaches me that the St. Stephen’s Club in Westminster is set to close at the end of the year due to falling membership and lack of revenue. This fine old Tory Club was formed by Benjamin Disraeli in 1870 and was originally housed where Portcullis House now stands, before moving to its current location

Draft Delingpole

From our UK edition

It’s an open secret in Eurosceptic circles that Nigel Farage has asked James Delingpole to consider standing for UKIP at the 2014 European elections. The prospect of Delingpole sitting on EU environmental committees is enough to chill the spine of even the most devoted pen pusher in Brussels. However, could we see his foray into

Robert Hughes RIP

From our UK edition

It has been a bad week for men of letters, with the loss of Gore Vidal a few days ago and Robert Hughes today. Gore was famous for his feuds, but Hughes, a Spectator contributor, had a softer side, unless your art was phony: ‘The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is

Stella McCartney snaps at Team GB kit critics

From our UK edition

Now that everyone has stopped moaning about a lack of Olympic gold, focus has returned to another burning issue issue – why is Team GB’s kit so terrible? Designed by Stella McCartney, critics have pointed out the blue-and-white stripes look more like a Saltire than a Union flag. Don’t even get me started on the

Sam Taylor Wood’s toy-boy takes her name

From our UK edition

After tying the knot with her toyboy lover Aaron Johnson, 22,  in June, it seems the artist-turned-movie director Sam Taylor Wood, 45, is doing little to dispel the dominant old woman image. The cast list for the upcoming adaptation Anna Karenina with Keira Knightley has a new name on it: ‘Aaron Taylor Johnson’. It seems

Snoop Lion

From our UK edition

Yesterday Mr Steerpike brought you news that rapper Snoop Dogg had taken his ban from the country of Norway remarkably well. Perhaps I spoke too soon. The Artist Formally Known as Snoop Dogg told hacks in the Big Apple yesterday: ‘I want to bury Snoop Dogg, and become Snoop Lion’. Righty- ho. ‘I didn’t know