Steerpike, Author at The Spectator

Wednesday

October 9, 2024

Cleverly slams Home Secretary over Taylor Swift’s special escort

From our UK edition

Well, well well. The Labour lot are under the spotlight once again. It transpires, after the Sun newspaper's splash this morning, that Home Secretary Yvette Cooper personally intervened to ensure that Taylor Swift received a police convoy to her Wembley shows. Priorities, priorities... Cooper has come under fire after reporting revealed that London's Metropolitan police were pressed by politicians over Swift's security measures. Three of the US singer-songwriter's Vienna shows were cancelled this year after a suicide bomb attempt was foiled by forces – and it has been claimed that the American pop icon's mother and manager was threatening to cut the singer's London shows unless top level police support was provided.

Steerpike

Farage predicts Tory leadership finalists

From our UK edition

Today's the day that the nation finds out who the final two Conservative leadership candidates will be – after a vote by MPs this afternoon. On Tuesday, former security minister Tom Tugendhat was knocked out after receiving the backing of just 20 MPs, coming fourth place to Kemi Badenoch on 30 votes, Robert Jenrick on 31 and James Cleverly on a whopping 39. And finally the question on everyone's lips has been answered: who does Nigel Farage reckon will be eliminated today? Speaking on GB News, the Reform UK leader set out his predictions for today's highly-anticipated result – and couldn't resist blasting the Tory 'establishment' in the process. 'Who makes the last two?' he asked: Well, I tell you: Cleverly, clearly makes the last two.

Steerpike

Boris: I could have saved Britain from ‘insane Marxist Labour party’

From our UK edition

Last night former prime minister Boris Johnson hosted his official book launch for new memoir 'Unleashed'. The ex-Tory leader welcomed former colleagues and allies to the London launch on Tuesday evening, which was complete with a book signing ahead of the tome's publication date this week. Never one to resist a dig at his political opponents, Johnson opened with a quick quip at the current Prime Minister: [My publisher] Arabella here has commissioned, for a princely sum of £18,000 in advance, [Keir Starmer] to write his vision for Britain. And, of course, he strained and strained – to be completely unable to come up with anything. And so, my friends, he has done an astonishing thing. He handed the money back.

Tuesday

October 8, 2024

Steerpike

Sarwar faces mini-rebellion over winter fuel payment cuts

From our UK edition

To Holyrood, where Scotland's politicians have overwhelmingly voted to oppose the Labour government's winter fuel payment cuts. 99 MSPs voted in favour of the motion tabled by SNP First Minister John Swinney, which called on the UK government to 'reverse the introduction of means testing for the winter fuel payment' – and in a sign of cracks emerging in the party, it transpires that Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has faced a mini-rebellion over the matter. Oh dear. Of Scottish Labour's 22 MSPs, only 16 voted on today's motion. Earlier today, rumours began to circulate that several of Sarwar's MSPs were expected to break the whip and back the SNP – and it has now come to light that two did.

Steerpike

Channel 4 books Stormy Daniels for US election night coverage

From our UK edition

Well, well, well. Channel 4 has announced that it has booked none other than Donald Trump-nemesis Stormy Daniels as a guest on its US election night show. The adult film actor at the centre of Trump's hush-money scandal will commentate on the events of the evening live from Washington – after spending much of the year recounting some rather lurid details about her previous run-ins with the ex-president, all of which Trump has denied. Fetch the popcorn.. Alongside the woman who alleges the former US president slept with her before paying out a six-figure sum for her silence, Channel 4 producers have lined up some more curious choices for the coverage.

Steerpike

Yousaf under fire for blasting officials in Covid WhatsApps

From our UK edition

All has not been well in the Scottish government for some time – and the latest revelation that former first minister Humza Yousaf was slamming civil servant press officers in WhatsApp chats is hardly likely to repair relations. It transpires that hapless Humza and one-time national clinical director Jason Leitch turned on their own officials in Covid message exchanges, uncovered by the Scottish Sun via Freedom of Information request. Oh dear. In a rather ironic twist, it has emerged that Yousaf complained he was 'not hugely impressed' by the efforts of the comms officials working in the health department, before promising to, er, 'sort it out'. Perhaps he should've taken a harder look at his own governing style, eh?

Steerpike

Labour lead slashed to one point

From our UK edition

When it rains for Sir Keir Starmer, it pours. Polling by More in Common via Politico has revealed that Labour's lead has been dramatically slashed to just one point ahead of the Tories, only three months after Labour's landslide win. The survey, which polled 2,023 Brits, put support for Starmer's army on 29 per cent – while Rishi Sunak's boys in blue are close on their heels at 28 per cent. Compared to the last poll carried out by the firm a fortnight ago, the Conservatives have gained two points, while Labour has lost one. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage's Reform party is in third place, on 19 per cent – just ten points behind the Labour. Sir Ed Davey's Lib Dems sit on 11 per cent, with the eco-activist Greens on 7 per cent and the Scottish Nats on just 2 per cent.

Steerpike

Boris slams ‘greedy’ Starmer over freebie fiasco

From our UK edition

Sue Gray may have moved on, but Sir Keir Starmer's freebie headache isn't going anywhere. Now former prime minister Boris Johnson has lashed out at the Labour PM over his decision to accept gifts clothing, hospitality and glasses – adding that Starmer must be 'worth a bob or two' due to his prestigious legal career. Indeed... It transpired over the last few weeks that Sir Keir has claimed £107,000 in donations since December 2019, including £4,000 of, er, Taylor Swift tickets. It was hardly a Cruel Summer for Starmer, eh? The Prime Minister eventually paid back over £6,000 worth of hospitality – but even that has not managed to squash the story, and Johnson's latest intervention won't help matters much.

Steerpike

Sue Gray’s allies turn on Starmer

From our UK edition

Another day, another Sue Gray-related drama. Even though the ex-civil servant has resigned from the role of Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff after becoming the story herself, she is still managing to generate headlines in her absentia. In an attempt to reboot his government, the Prime Minister swapped out Gray for Labour campaign guru Morgan McSweeney – but the negative briefings haven't stopped quite yet. Now her allies are on the warpath, even hitting out at the PM. Oh dear. As reported by the Times, Gray's allies have attacked claims that the former civil servant had presided over a dysfunctional culture in Downing Street.

Monday

October 7, 2024

Steerpike

Ex-Green leader declares war on strawberries

From our UK edition

Who remembers Natalie Bennett, the Aussie-accented eco-warrior whose car crash interviews briefly enlivened the 2015 election campaign? The onetime Green leader has since been installed as one of our great unelected masters in the House of Lords. But it seems that all that the institutional knowledge there has not yet rubbed off on Bennett, who continues to suffer a chronic case of foot-in-mouth syndrome. Many such cases... In her never-ending quest to make life worse for the British people, Bennett has found a new scourge on which to direct her ire: strawberries. Yes, that's right, apparently growing the popular red fruit in colder months is killing the planet and must be banned immediately. Talk about priorities eh?

Steerpike

Watch: Labour Red Prince flounders in GB News grilling

From our UK edition

It's been a golden start in politics for Hamish Falconer. The son of former Lord Chancellor Charlie, the ex-Westminster boy triumphed at his first tilt for parliament in July before being appointed a fortnight later as the Minister for the Middle East. Highly regarded by many in the Foreign Office, it was to some excitement then that he made his media round debut today on the one-year anniversary of the 7 October attack on Israel. Unfortunately for Falconer, his first series of TV interviews was not one to remember. Appearing on GB News this morning, he was completely skewered by host Isabel Webster over Sue Gray's Downing Street departure and replacement by Morgan McSweeney.

Steerpike

Sue Gray’s top five lowlights

From our UK edition

Change is the flavour of the month and nobody knows that better than Sir Keir Starmer's top team, which on Sunday saw the PM's chief of staff Sue Gray swap out for Labour campaign guru Morgan McSweeney after weeks of negative briefings about the former civil servant. Gray is down but not quite out – taking on an 'advisory' position as 'envoy for the regions and nations' – and as she moves into her next role, Mr S thought it would be worth reflecting on the ex-Starmer staffer's biggest lowlights in the top job... Previous professional controversies If readers cast their minds back to March 2023, they will remember Sue Gray's last episode of explosive job news.

Sunday

October 6, 2024

Steerpike

Pundits left red-faced over ‘serious politics’ claims

From our UK edition

Another one bites the dust. Now Sue Gray has resigned from her top job as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff, taking on an 'advisory' position while Labour campaign guru Morgan McSweeney moves into her role. The move follows weeks of bad briefings about Gray – from claims the Starmer staffer had 'subverted' Cabinet over Casement Park, refused to get paid less than the PM and was not seeing eye to eye with McSweeney himself. The drama never quite seemed to end. So much for serious government, eh? Certainly those commentators who gloated about Sir Keir's Labour welcoming in a new age of mature politics must be feeling red-faced now. Mr S thought it would be useful to take a look at who exactly might want to swallow their words...

Steerpike

SNP police probe investigating fake company claim

From our UK edition

Back to Scotland, where the police probe into the SNP's funds and finances continues to rumble on. Now it transpires that prosecutors are looking into findings that suggests a non-existent company was paid for refurbishment work carried out at SNP HQ. More than £100,000 was coughed up for work on a 'media suite' in the party's Edinburgh office – yet officers are probing evidence that suggests the company paid wasn't, um, real. The SNP's 2020 accounts detail the party paid £615,000 to refurb the party's offices, with the money going on upgraded furniture and tech. One source told the Sunday Mail that: One of the biggest items being looked at is a six figure sum which on paper appears to have been spent creating a media suite at the Edinburgh offices.

Steerpike

Kemi Badenoch wins a surprise endorsement

From our UK edition

It’s just four days to go until the next round of voting for Tory leader. So, with the various candidates pulling out all the stops from now until Wednesday, Kemi Badenoch has today decided to unveil her latest star supporter. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has thrown his support behind the shadow housing secretary, just days after ex-Australian premier Tony Abbott did the same. Looks like Kemi’s time at Trade was well-spent… In a video released this morning, the onetime Republican candidate for President says that he is ‘pleased to endorse’ Badenoch for leader because of the pair’s work together on a ‘great trade agreement between Florida and the United Kingdom’.

Friday

October 4, 2024

Steerpike

Scottish Tories fume over leadership rivals snubbing Scotland

From our UK edition

Back to the Tory leadership contest which is gathering pace post-conference season. In a matter of days, MPs will cast their votes to leave just two contenders in the race, before the membership gets its say. But there is consternation about the final two among the Holyrood group – which only appointed a new leader itself last week – after growing frustration about some of the frontrunners having snubbed Scotland. How very interesting. Half of the Scottish Tory crowd – which only appointed a new leader itself last week – have publicly thrown their weight behind Tom Tugendhat, who has the backing of 16 of the party's 31 MSPs.

Steerpike

Could Starmer sign away the Falklands too?

From our UK edition

When Sir Keir Starmer announced on Thursday that the UK will cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, he was met with widespread outrage. Opposition politicians were quick to blast the Prime Minister over the move, pointing to the strategic importance of the land, with ex-PM and one-time foreign secretary Boris Johnson slamming the decision as 'total nonsense'. Questions have been raised about it all – with Guido Fawkes yesterday pointing out that Starmer's close friend Philippe Sands KC happens to be Mauritius' chief legal adviser and a longtime campaigner for the country to control the land. How very interesting. And on the issue of other British overseas territories, Sir Keir has been rather cagey.

Steerpike

Fifteen top takes from Boris Johnson’s memoir

From our UK edition

Boris Johnson’s new memoir Unleashed is to be published next week, and with the highly-anticipated account promising to be the ‘political memoir of the century’, Mr S was rather interested in what exactly it contains within its pages. Steerpike has put together a list of the top 15 things we learned from the former Prime Minister’s lengthy memoir… Partygate stories 'grossly exaggerated' First to one of the most prominent scandals of Boris Johnson’s career: the matter of Partygate. In his 800-page tome, the former PM insists that he was told by his adviser that the pandemic parties broke no lockdown rules. Johnson admits he put it down as ‘desperate nonsense being peddled by embittered former advisers’ and ‘forgot about it’.

Steerpike

Cleverly and Jenrick slam CCHQ machine

From our UK edition

Who would want to work in Conservative Campaign Headquarters? The election this year was certainly not Tory high command's finest hour, with rows over stitch-ups and misallocated resources neatly topping off the party's worst election result in history. So with discontent high among both MPs and members, it is no surprise that Tory leadership contenders are lining up to criticise their own party establishment, according to a series of leaked recordings given to Mr S. First up, Robert Jenrick, who is keen to present himself as the candidate most keen to overhaul the party machine. He wants to scrap the CCHQ-approved candidates’ list so that any member can stand and made his withering views clear when speaking to the Conservative Friends of the NHS group in August.

Steerpike

Labour in fresh ‘cash for croissants’ storm

From our UK edition

It's a day ending a 'y' – so there's another Labour scandal brewing. After the 'passes for glasses' row about Lord Alli's role in Downing Street, the party has been plunged into another row about claims of 'cash for access.' The Sun today reports that companies have been offered breakfast with the Business Secretary in return for £30,000. Party apparatchiks invited bosses to a top Manchester restaurant for the 'rare chance' to 'gain insight' from Jonathan Reynolds in return for sponsorship of the meal. Talk about 'cash for croissants'... Attendance at the exclusive event was limited to just ten tickets.