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

Saturday

Steerpike

We want our campervan back, demand Nats

The SNP finance saga continues to drag on – but today it’s taken a rather strange turn. Last year, a £110,000 motorhome was seized by police from outside Nicola Sturgeon’s mother-in-law’s house as part of Operation Branchform into the party’s finances. On the same day, Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell was arrested, while Sturgeon and the SNP’s treasurer were taken in for questioning at later dates. All three were released, though the campervan purchase is currently being investigated alongside other transactions, including gardening equipment and, er, women’s razors.

Friday

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Truss blasts Labour for putting ‘ideology’ before children

Oh dear. Things haven’t quite gone to plan for Liz Truss. (Where have we heard that before?) The former prime minister was hoping to debate her private member’s bill in the Commons this afternoon — but MPs ran out of time.  In the same week that puberty blockers were banned for children, Truss’s Health and Equality Acts (Amendment) Bill would alter the current Equality Act to enshrine the legal definition of sex as ‘biological’. It was understood that the government were poised to back Truss’s bill, before amending it at a later stage. Despite rumours of Tory support, at third on the order paper it was never guaranteed that the former PM’s bill would be heard.

Steerpike

Porn project received thousands of pounds of Scottish taxpayers’ cash

Good heavens. Just when you think events north of the border can’t get any more ridiculous, they do. Now it has emerged that the director of an, er, hardcore porn project managed to secure £85,000 from government-backed Creative Scotland in January. The production, directed by Leonie Rae Gasson and titled ‘Rein’, was set to involve ‘pornographic processes’ to film in the Highlands, while research for the project included a nine-minute sexually explicit film that aims to take viewers on a ‘magical, erotic journey through a distinctly Scottish landscape’. What's more, recruitment ads for Rein, which offered a daily fee of £270 for 'hardcore' acts, were advertised on the websites of publicly-funded arts groups.

Steerpike

Meghan launches new lifestyle brand

Never able to keep herself from the spotlight for long, Meghan is back on Instagram. After her Archetypes podcast series failed and her previous blog The Tig bombed, the Queen of Privacy is embarking on a new venture. Now, the Duchess of Sussex is launching a lifestyle brand which she plans to use to resurrect her image by selling cookbooks, tableware and, er, marmalade. Eagle-eyed social media users were quick to spot a brand new Instagram account called ‘American Riviera Orchard’ this week, the biography reading: ‘By Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex.’ The account name is thought to be inspired by the location of Meghan and Harry’s luxury dwelling in Montecito.

Thursday

Steerpike

Could Starmer really become the UK’s ‘most unpopular leader’?

The Tory party hasn’t had the best week, what with one of their MPs defecting and their biggest donor embroiled in a racism row. But if Conservative politicians were looking for somewhere to go in Westminster this evening to lift their spirits, Mr S would not have recommended J. L. Partners’ ‘Election 2024’ event. Organised in word clouds and colourful charts, polling by the firm dubbed Rishi Sunak 'weak', showed the public want more 'honesty' in politics and revealed that a not insignificant proportion of 2019 Tory voters would rather, um, Martin Lewis the money-saving expert as their PM. It's all a rather poor indictment of the Tories' track record as they head into the next election... Panellist Will Dry — the former Sunak campaigner and No.

Steerpike

Matheson breached code of conduct over iPad scandal

Back to the curious case of Michael Matheson and his £11,000 iPad bill. Despite desperate attempts by the former health secretary to stall the publication of a report into his behaviour — after Matheson tried to lump taxpayers with his ruinous roaming charges — the verdict is in. It has now been revealed that the disgraced ex-minister did indeed breach the MSP code of conduct.  Matheson's rule-breaking charges come after he was deemed to fall short on parliamentary standards and for improper — to put it mildly — use of expenses. The investigation results, released today by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB), come ahead of the publication of the full report in its entirety.

Steerpike

Abbott blasts ‘abusive’ Labour party officials in racism row

The Tories have had a tough week trying to find their line on comments made by their biggest donor Frank Hester. But the Labour party hasn’t escaped unscathed either. Independent MP Diane Abbott has taken her side of the story to the papers — and delivered a blistering attack on her former party. Abbott revealed in the Guardian that she had been planning to ask the Prime Minister about Frank Hester’s remarks in the Commons. But despite attempting to get the Speaker’s attention almost, er, 50 times, Abbott wasn't successful. Turning to the column pages, she described how she had been ‘upset but not surprised’ by Hester’s comments and slammed the Tories for playing ’the race card’. Then she turned the guns on Labour...

Steerpike

Gove in extremism muddle over Tory donor

Back to Westminster, where Michael Gove has revealed his brand new definition of extremism today in a bid to push back against fanaticism. The communities secretary has offered assurances that there will be a high bar for defining a group as extremist, and that a 'rigorous process' would be followed when identifying group of concern. Affected organisations will miss out on government grants and ministerial meetings. Critics have suggested the broader definition could have a ‘chilling effect’ on free speech however and some rather, er, unusual alliances have formed in protest at the move. The communities secretary found himself in a tight spot this morning on the morning round.

Wednesday

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Watch: Drakeford blasts ‘absent’ Boris at fiery Covid Inquiry hearing

Back to the UK Covid Inquiry and today it’s in Cardiff, where Welsh Prime Minister Mark Drakeford has given some rather, er, colourful evidence. After watching Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Nicola Sturgeon being grilled in previous hearings, Drakeford had some idea at least of what to expect and prepare — and he’s certainly not left the media with a shortage of sound bites. The Welsh PM isn't holding back. He slammed the former PM for trying to ‘minimise the seriousness’ of Covid, Hancock was described as getting ‘the most basic things wrong’ and Cummings criticised for saying ‘no’ to a mass gathering ban.

Steerpike

Taxpayers foot SNP minister’s £2,500 chauffeur bill

Dear oh dear. First the SNP’s health secretary attempted to use the public purse to cover his phone bill costs. Now, in a separate matter, the Scottish government’s tourism and trade minister has come under fire for lumping a similarly large bill on taxpayers. Richard Lochhead’s three-day trip to California resulted in a rather hefty expenses bill of £11,750. Responding to a freedom of information request, the Scottish government helpfully broke down how this money was spent. £8,000 plane tickets, £800 accommodation and just under £450 on extra ‘travel and subsistence’ costs illustrate a rather enjoyable stay. But the real zinger was the revelation that Lochhead racked up costs of £2,500 on 'chauffeur car travel'. Alright for some!

Tuesday

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Robert Jenrick: The Tories have a young person problem

Is ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick on manoeuvres? He certainly looked the part as he waxed lyrical to a crowd of under 35s at the Onward’s ‘After Hours’ event in a Westminster pub. Jenrick said it was no surprise youngsters are struggling to get on the housing ladder. ‘You’re absolutely right to say that the housing crisis today is also an immigration crisis,’ he crowed to the audience. ‘You can’t have mass migration and an answer to the housing crisis.’ But while the Tory MP has been championing housing and migration issues over the last few years, tonight's focus was on the Tory issue with younger voters. ‘We are outliers in Europe and beyond in our inability to win over young people,’ he admitted.

Steerpike

Badenoch calls for forgiveness over Tory donor’s ‘racist’ remarks

The Frank Hester saga continues after the Tory donor’s ‘rude’ remarks about Diane Abbott came to light on Monday. A Guardian investigation revealed that the West Yorkshire businessman had told colleagues in 2019 that looking at Abbott makes ‘you just want to hate all black women because she’s there’ and that ‘she should be shot’. Now Kemi Badenoch has spoken out on the issue. The business secretary, who is also minister for women and equalities, blasted Hester’s ‘appalling’ and ‘racist’ remarks on Tuesday afternoon — but added that there must be ‘space for forgiveness’. Writing on Twitter this afternoon, she said: Hester’s 2019 comments, as reported, were racist. I welcome his apology. Abbott and I disagree on a lot.

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Watch: Humza Yousaf slams ‘institutionally Islamophobic’ Tories

It's a day that ends in 'y' which means the leader of the SNP is once again harping on about independence. Today Humza Yousaf addressed a crowd at the the London School of Economics about the economic woes of Brexit and how, surprise surprise, 'achieving independence' is the only solution for the people of Scotland. Yousaf started jovially, pointing out that both his host Emma McCoy and interviewer Iain Begg had Caledonian ties. 'It just reminds me of that famous saying that there are two types of people in the world: Scots and those who want to be Scottish. There is a third, of course,' he quipped, 'those who lack any ambition whatsoever, but we shall look over those individuals.' A rather ironic dig from a leader who has himself achieved, er, not a great deal...

Steerpike

Watch: Donelan apologises for tweeting defamatory letter

Michelle Donelan has been no stranger to the spotlight lately. The Science and Technology Secretary was forced last week to retract the false accusations she made about an academic and pay the damages and costs. But she didn't just fire off a letter of complaint to UK Research and Innovation about its board members. Donelan also decided it would be, er, wise to publicly post the offending letter on Twitter, which itself prompted the libel action. Donelan has this morning admitted that she ‘could have sent the letter in confidence’, telling the Lords’ science and tech committee: ‘I do apologise for not having done so’.

Steerpike

Will Lee Anderson be ousted from PopCon?

Liz Truss launched her Popular Conservatism movement — catchily dubbed PopCon — just over a month ago. Taking aim at 'left wing extremists', Truss hit out at colleagues more interested in pursuing policies popular at 'London dinner parties' and explained that her new group would champion true Tory values. But it wasn't just lefties that didn't fare well. Before PopCon had even launched, event organisers ousted Simon Clarke MP from the speaker line-up after he called for Rishi Sunak to go. Could Lee Anderson be next? The former deputy chairman of the Conservative party was one of PopCon's star speakers.

Monday

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Tory donor under scrutiny for Diane Abbott remarks

Oh dear. The Tory party’s biggest donor Frank Hester is under fire for remarks he made about Diane Abbott in a 2019 meeting. The West Yorkshire businessman is facing intense criticism for unprofessionalism at work after it emerged he had told colleagues that looking at Abbott makes ‘you just want to hate all black women because she’s there’ and that ‘she should be shot’. Hester has since apologised for his 'rude' remarks and a statement from his business says that the donor has attempted to contact Abbott directly to say sorry. A number of Tory MPs backed Hester's apology on Tuesday morning while admitting that his remarks were 'wrong'. Lord William Hague called the remarks 'racist' on Times Radio, but said: 'He's deeply sorry. So I think we should accept the apology.

Steerpike

Lee Anderson’s by-election hypocrisy

Lee Anderson is back in the spotlight. The former Tory MP today jumped ship to Richard Tice’s Reform UK party, following weeks of speculation after he was suspended from the Conservatives. Telling reporters this morning that he had deliberately thrown them ‘off the scent’ when he formally denied he would defect to Reform, Anderson's remarks suggested his mind had been made up for a while. But it appears this was not a decision the ex-Tory had ever thought he would make when he first became an MP. In fact, the Ashfield rep voted in favour of a bill that would have made defecting considerably trickier...

Steerpike

Lee Anderson’s top three spats with Reform

Well, well, well. The rumours turned out to be true. This morning the former deputy chairman of the Tory party — who lost the whip last month for refusing to apologise for ‘Islamophobic’ comments — defected to Reform UK. The red wall Rottweiler told reporters that ‘constituents like my mum and dad told me they could not vote for me’ unless he jumped ship, adding: ‘I want my country back.’ A magpie for news headlines, Anderson has generated some rather colourful examples in recent months. The MP has told asylum seekers to ‘f*** off back to France’, been dubbed ‘30p Lee’ after taking a controversial stance on food banks and in 2019 was even caught setting up a fake doorstep chat with a friend.

Steerpike

Lee Anderson defects to Reform

Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson has this morning defected to Reform UK. Party leader Richard Tice made the announcement at a London press conference this morning, where he praised Anderson as a 'champion of the red wall' and told reporters: ‘We want to replace the Tories as the main alternative to Starmergeddon.’ GB News, which employs Anderson and hosts his show 'Real World', tipped him to defect to Reform earlier today. The move will give Tice’s party its first MP ahead of the upcoming election and may cause more Tory upset after polling on Friday put their vote share at 18 per cent — only 5 per cent ahead of Reform. It had long been speculated that Lee Anderson may defect to the right-wing party.

Steerpike

Michael Gove’s ‘hate tsar’ quits before he’s even begun

Michael Gove's mission to tackle extremism has got off to a shaky start. Fiyaz Mughal, the man who was reportedly lined up to officially begin as the government’s anti-Muslim hatred tsar today, has quit after being bombarded with hate mail. Mughal said he received a 'torrent of abuse' from both Islamists and far-right extremists just hours after his name was leaked on Friday. 'Serious stuff was coming through my inbox,' Mughal said, who hit out at ministers for failing to protect him from the backlash: I’m angry because the government has been saying for decades, ‘where are the British Muslims speaking out?’ When we speak out, we are left to our own devices. The impact on our personal and professional lives is enormous.