Steerpike, Author at The Spectator

Tuesday

1 October 2024

Dorries: Kemi should be ‘disqualified’ from leadership race

This year's Tory conference has seen a number of old faces as well as new – and the appearance of Boris Johnson's former culture secretary at a More in Common event this evening has caused quite the stir. Nadine Dorries told delegates that her brief speech at a venue outside of the conference centre would be her only appearance at the 2024 Tory bash, labelling herself as an 'old bird in politics' and adding in classic Dorries style that she initially wanted to 'turn down' the invite. Charming... On the leadership candidates, Dorries was pulling no punches either – especially with one contender in particular.

Steerpike

Tugendhat: My Roger Scruton row comments were ‘twisted’

It’s the final night of Tory party conference and tempers are fraying. Three of the four leadership candidates have ended up weighing in on the 2019 sacking of the late Roger Scruton from his role as an unpaid adviser to the Department for Housing, after an interview he gave to the New Statesman (which was covered by The Spectator’s Douglas Murray at the time). Kemi Badenoch said at a Spectator panel earlier today that ‘if you’re not prepared to fight for conservatives, to fight for your people, you have no business being involved in politics’. She explicitly mentioned the Roger Scruton case.

Steerpike

Badenoch’s feud with Farage continues

The Tory leadership race is ramping up — and so is Kemi Badenoch’s anti-Reform rhetoric. The contender for the top job hasn’t held back on her views of Nigel Farage this week, and the back and forth looks set to continue… The Reform leader has been rather uncomplimentary about Badenoch of late — tweeting furiously on the eve of the Conservative Party conference: Kemi Badenoch has spent weeks positioning herself as tough on immigration. But in 2018 she campaigned in parliament to increase legal migration, and was the biggest champion for students bringing in dependents. I don't believe a word that she says on anything. Ouch.

Steerpike

Jenrick reveals daughter’s middle name is Thatcher

It's the second day of the big Tory leadership interviews at party conference and Robert Jenrick is on the main stage. Making his case for why he should be elected leader of the Conservative party, the former minister slammed the state of the Home Office as being 'in ashes', promised he would 're-enact' a version of the Rwanda scheme if he were to become Prime Minister and said he 'would like' to cut the top rate of tax. How interesting... But it wasn't just domestic policy that the Tory leadership contender discussed this afternoon. In a rather, er, amusing announcement, Jenrick revealed that his daughter's middle name is 'Thatcher' – in a touching tribute to the former PM. Talk about commitment to the cause, eh?

Steerpike

Rees-Mogg takes aim at Badenoch over Reform remarks

It’s day three of the Conservative party conference, and so far the blue-on-blue has been kept to a minimum — not least thanks to the ‘yellow card’ threat, Mr S is sure. But one Tory grandee and former MP isn’t holding back on his thoughts on the future of his party following a disastrous election result — and Jacob Rees-Mogg had some firm words for Kemi Badenoch in particular… In conversation with the Telegraph’s Daily T podcast this morning, Rees-Mogg first criticised the four leadership contenders for not focusing enough on issues like net zero or the economy, before slamming his party’s ’appalling failure’ on immigration over the last 14 years.

Steerpike

Sunak’s government more popular than Labour, poll reveals

As the Tory leadership hustings continue, there's a bit of good news for outgoing boss Rishi Sunak. It now transpires that more people prefer Sunak's government to Sir Keir Starmer's Labour lot, according to polling by More in Common. In yet another blow for Starmer, the survey found the new government was less popular than Sunak's by two points, with the current Prime Minister not yet being three months into the job. It's hardly the best start... More in Common quizzed 2,080 people on their thoughts on the governments of late. 31 per cent preferred Sunak's boys in blue, with 29 per cent logging their support for Sir Keir.

Monday

30 September 2024

Steerpike

Simon Case hands in resignation letter

While the Conservative party conference is in full swing in Birmingham, back in Whitehall there have been some major developments. Cabinet Secretary Simon Case has now formally handed in his resignation letter, with the senior civil servant circulating his departure letter to his underlings today. His announcement that he will stand down at the end of the year follows weeks of whisperings that Case didn't quite see eye to eye with Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff Sue Gray – with reports that, after the recent host of bad briefings against the PM's staffer, efforts to speed up Case's resignation date were deployed. How very curious... The top mandarin has told civil servants, however, that he is leaving for health reasons – not because of his rumoured beef with Gray.

Steerpike

Tugendhat’s ‘disgusting and yellow’ Lib Dem jibe

The first of the big Tory leadership interviews kicked off today with Tom Tugendhat in the hotseat. The former security minister put forward his case to a packed out arena in Birmingham — calling for CCHQ reform, apologising for recent years of Tory ‘infighting and chaos’ and insisting he has what it takes to rebuild the ‘Conservative family’. Receiving a warm welcome from the crowd, Tugendhat was quick to crack the jokes too. On just how many countries had sanctioned him, he quipped: ‘I’m still working on North Korea…’. He blasted Nigel Farage for saying he wants to ‘destroy’ the Conservatives, reiterating he would not entertain the idea of a merger with Reform.

Steerpike

Jenrick mocks Starmer’s ‘unserious’ government

To Birmingham, where the Conservative party conference is in full swing. As well as the formal leadership hustings taking place this week, the four rivals vying for the top job are busy behind the scenes trying to convince their colleagues – and membership – to back them. Robert Jenrick staged his latest rally bright and early on Monday morning, treating attendees to breakfast, mountains of merchandise (including printed copies of the Jenrick Post) and the dulcet tones of, er, Avicii. But that wasn't all – the Tory frontrunner couldn't quite resist taking a pop at Sir Keir Starmer's crowd either... Launching into his speech, Jenrick blasted the rather gloomy attitude that underpinned the lefty lot's Liverpool conference last weekend.

Steerpike

JK Rowling defends Rosie Duffield against ‘numbskulls’

All is not well in the Labour party. Not only is Sir Keir still dealing with the freebie fiasco, Starmer also lost a longtime MP last week after she quit the party. Rosie Duffield left Labour with a bang, penning a scathing letter that blasted the 'sleaze, nepotism and apparent avarice' existing among the lefty lot, telling the Prime Minister: 'I am so ashamed of what you and your inner circle have done to tarnish and humiliate our once proud party.' Shots fired... And now renowned writer JK Rowling has waded into the matter.

Steerpike

Poll: young ex-Tories won’t return to party in 2029

There's an oddly upbeat mood here at Tory party conference in Birmingham. You might have thought that with just 121 MPs left, the Conservatives would be fairly despondent about their future. But it seems that the bromide of the leadership election has helped assuage such feelings. After all, who can be miserable when there are endless invites to rallies and much merchandise to be purloined? Yet Mr S has a big bucket of cold water to douse on Tories rousing from their conference hangovers this morning. Savanta has done some polling for The Spectator and it looks like the future of the party is not looking too peachy.

Sunday

29 September 2024

Steerpike

Labour points finger at Tories over donations

Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour party’s conference was mired in his freebie fiasco scandal after revelations about clothing donations and trips abroad surfaced. But while the Labour lot had a tricky time fending the story off at their conference, they appear determined not to let the Tory meet pass without a similar hitch. Now it transpires that the Labour party chair has written to the Electoral Commission to demand an investigation over donations accepted by one Robert Jenrick. How curious… The Chancellor’s sister Ellie Reeves has blasted the Tory leadership frontrunner over a £75,000 sum he accepted from a company called The Spott Fitness.

Steerpike

‘Absolute chancer’: new Scottish Tory leader blasts Farage

While one Tory leadership contest rumbles on, another has come to a close. Russell Findlay was made the new leader of the Scottish Conservative party on Friday – and he's enjoying his victory lap at Tory conference this weekend. At a fringe event today, the former crime journalist was keen to hammer home that his premiership will be about change – doesn't that sound familiar – and told his audience he wants to 'get down to the hard work of earning back the trust of the voters we’ve lost'. And with the recent leadership race shining a light on party infighting, he's certainly got his work cut out... But the Scottish leader couldn't resist taking a pop at his political opponents, either. And on the matter of one particular party, Findlay was pulling no punches.

Steerpike

Which Tory contender has the best conference stall?

Welcome to Tory conference 2024. For the next four days, the final quartet of contenders will battle it out, Hunger Games-style, to try and prove to their colleagues that they really stand a chance with the members. To do this, each of the four contenders is projecting an image of competence, confidence and momentum. So what better way to do that than by getting activists to sport some branded merchandise? Much like a university freshers' fair, each contender has been given their very own stand to showcase their personality and build a buzz around their campaign. Mr S went along early this morning as each team was setting up and had a quick peak at the branded items that each contender's team is giving out. Below are the final four...

Saturday

28 September 2024

Steerpike

Watch: BBC is forced to fact check itself

Amid a wave of BBC cutbacks, the Corporation has made much of its new 'Verify' service. Bosses have trumpeted its fact-checkers – staff, supposedly, with ‘forensic investigative skills’ – as a solution to the slew of misinformation in the age of social media. So it was somewhat sub-optimal then that the BBC was forced to fact check itself on Thursday night in an episode of the flagship show Question Time. At one point in the evening, Zia Yusuf, the Reform party chairman, attacked the number of asylum seekers arriving into Britain after it emerged that the Foreign Office has spent more than £4 billion on support for refugees and asylum seekers.

Friday

27 September 2024

Steerpike

Whatever happened to the ‘Office of Deputy PM’?

Poor old Angela Rayner. It seems she is not too happy about reports that she is being 'frozen out' of decision-making in the new government, amid claims that she is the victim of a media 'briefing war.' Various reports have appeared suggesting that she has lost control of Labour’s employee rights’ package to the Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and planning reform to the Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Use of the grace-and-favour residence of Dorneywood has also been given to Reeves, unlike in the days of John Prescott. Bad luck improving your croquet skills Ange. It's a far cry from, er, March when allies of Rayner were busy briefing about 'plans to establish a powerful new department at the core of UK government to shore up her position'.

Steerpike

Watch: JSO protestors attack more Van Gogh paintings

It didn't take long for the eco-zealots to strike again. Just minutes after Just Stop Oil activists Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland were jailed for throwing Heinz tomato soup over Van Gogh's Sunflowers, a trio of JSO protestors have again targeted the artist's work at the National Gallery. How very tiresome… The climate protest group tweeted out a video of the group's latest stunt, urging Brits to 'support people in resistance'. The clip of the art attack, which was recorded this afternoon, shows passers-by remonstrating with the JSO activists.

Steerpike

Labour climate envoy sports Extinction Rebellion badge

When it rains for Sir Keir Starmer, it pours. Labour isn't yet in the clear over the freebie fiasco that dampened the party's conference this week and now another uncomfortable revelation has emerged. It transpires that Labour has chosen a new climate envoy with links to a hedge fund that donated millions to the party. The new appointee also appears to have had previous ties with, er, Extinction Rebellion. Rachel Kyte has been made the new UK special representative for climate, filling a role that was awarded a six-figure salary of £130,000 when it was last taken. The climate envoy is, it turns out, on the advisory board of the Quadrature Climate Foundation.

Steerpike

Russell Findlay becomes Scottish Tory leader

The first of two Conservative leadership contests has concluded and today it has been announced that the new leader of the Scottish party is Russell Findlay. The former crime journalist was widely seen as the party establishment favourite after former leader Douglas Ross announced he would be resigning from the post in June. Now Findlay faces the rather daunting prospect of reuniting his group after months of bad briefings mired the race in scandal. Best of luck... Ross stepped down after losing the support of his colleagues when he ousted ill colleague David Duguid in the Westminster parliamentary selection process.

Steerpike

Boris gave Prince ‘manly pep talk’ to keep him in UK

Well, well, well. When the monarchs of Montecito decided to cut ties with the UK and live stateside, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan seriously ruffled feathers in the royal family. But it now transpires that, before Harry's big move, the Prince faced a rather curious intervention – from none other than the prime minister of the day, Boris Johnson. How very interesting... In Johnson's upcoming memoir, Unleased, the ex-PM claims that officials from Downing Street and Buckingham Palace are thought to have conspired together in a bid to convince Prince Harry to stay in the UK. The former Tory leader writes in his soon-to-be-published tome that it was requested he give the renegade royal a 20-minute chat in an eleventh-hour attempt to stop the Prince from relocating.