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
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It’s a big week for Labour ahead of the Budget on Wednesday. So it is somewhat sub-optimal then that a viral video threatens to derail their carefully calculated media grid. In footage shot by a member of the public early this morning, Labour MP for Runcorn and Helsby Mike Amesbury appeared to threaten a man who
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Oh dear. Sir Alan Duncan is at it again. Back in April the former Tory minister was investigated by the Tory party after claiming the Conservative Friends of Israel group was ‘doing the bidding’ of the Israeli prime minister. Amid accusations of antisemitism, he called for Lord Polak, CFI’s former head, to be ‘removed from
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It’s the question all of Westminster is asking. If Donald Trump wins, who will be our next man in Washington? One person definitely not in the running is Nigel Farage, longtime friend and ally of the Republican president. At The Spectator’s Americano event last night, the Clacton MP told host Freddy Gray that he definitely
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With just over a week until the victor of the Tory leadership race is announced, the contest is ramping up and endorsements are rolling in. Now the former Chancellor under David Cameron has offered his thoughts on who the next leader of the Conservative party should be on his Political Currency podcast today. Announcing his
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When it rains for Sir Keir, it pours. It now transpires that the Labour leader has achieved a worse rating as Prime Minister than all of his recent predecessors – bar Liz Truss, who didn’t manage to last quite as long in the top job. It seems for Keir Starmer, things can only get, er,
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To Westminster, where outside the Ministry of Justice more than 300 protestors have held a silent vigil this afternoon. Activists from a myriad of campaign groups – including Just Stop Oil, Palestine Action and Black Lives Matter – gathered in front of the department building for 90 minutes today to call for the release of
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Well, well, well. Less than 24 hours after Reform UK leader Nigel Farage wrote to Conservative councillors in a bid to persuade them to defect to his party, the first has defected. James McIvor, a councillor in Essex, has switched to the Farage-founded party – in a tweet that suggests more of his former colleagues
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Sir Keir Starmer’s lot have hardly had an easy start in government, what with the cronyism rows, freebie fiasco and frockgate. Now the Prime Minister is dealing with a backlash from one of the presidential candidates, after Labour activists flew stateside to canvas for Kamala Harris. This week, Donald Trump’s campaign even complained about the
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They say all publicity is good publicity – unless you’re Meghan and Harry, that is. Despite their valiant efforts (including a search for a PR guru) the dynamic duo never quite manage to stay out of the spotlight for long. Now the Duchess of Sussex has found herself in the firing line after Tina Brown
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Lord Alli never manages to stay out of the spotlight for long. Now the millionaire Labour donor has been found to have breached four parliamentary rules over his registration of interests, according to an investigation carried out by the Lords Commissioner Standards, and has been forced to issue a letter of apology. Oh dear… An
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What isn’t deemed offensive these days? The latest version of Northern Ireland’s civil service ‘inclusive language guide’ has been published – and it appears that even some of the most benign language is too risqué for top mandarins. The newly released document, which advises readers that ‘we all have a role to play in championing
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Donald Trump’s campaign has submitted an official complaint accusing Labour of breaking US electoral law over the secondment of volunteers, just days after Nigel Farage accused Labour of ‘election interference’ after party advisers headed stateside to canvass for Kamala Harris. Now leaked documents thought to have originated from a Labour-linked group suggest the lefty lot may also
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The second round of Labour’s early prison release scheme saw around 1,100 inmates released on Tuesday – and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is insistent that she wants this emergency release to be the last. As Mr S wrote earlier, a rather interesting range of jailbirds were let out early today – including convicted drug dealers,
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The second round of prison inmate releases is taking place today, with over one thousand people walking free from their institutions early. The jailbirds have been warned to be on their best behaviour this time – after the first release resulted in gleeful criminals popping champagne corks over freedom day coming early. But despite warnings
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Yesterday brought the news that the police officer accused of murdering Chris Kaba in 2022 had been acquitted. Racial justice groups have long criticised the Met police over the matter and on Monday evening, protestors once again took to the streets outside the Old Bailey to demand justice for the 24-year-old. But protestations about the
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With just over a week left until the Tory leadership race concludes, the endorsements are rolling in. While a selection of new backers have rowed in behind Kemi Badenoch in recent days, Robert Jenrick’s campaign has not been devoid of last minute supporters. His former boss Suella Braverman has today announced she will be supporting
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The Tory leadership contest will wrap up in less than two weeks and members have been busy casting their votes over the last few days. While there is frustration across the party about the lack of membership polling data available, Mr S is rather intrigued by what attentive users on Mumsnet think of Robert Jenrick
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To City Hall, where tonight Sadiq Khan welcomed journalists from across the city to a Diageo-sponsored drinks reception. The London mayor took to the podium to laud the efforts of his diligent and dutiful staffers, taking time to praise his comms team for their relentless work trying to defend his decision-making. Yet about certain journalists,
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The SNP has fired through multiple leaders in recent months, and it now looks to be doing the same with CEOs. After former Daily Record editor Murray Foote announced his resignation last week, the Nats have appointed a new interim chief executive – who has already managed to cause quite a stir… Carol Beattie was
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It’s not looking like a good week for Sir Keir Starmer’s lot and it’s only Monday. This morning, Health Secretary Wes Streeting launched the ‘biggest consultation in NHS history’ in a bid to get public input into how to save the UK’s flailing health service. Posting on Twitter today, the Health Secretary wrote that ‘all