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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David Cameron left 10 Downing Street with indecent haste. Britain had voted for Brexit and we were about to discover a scandal: he had instructed the civil service not to do any preparatory work in the event of a Yes vote. This led to a crushed timetable that destabilised his successors as he ran for
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Rishi Sunak was never going to please everyone by sacking Suella Braverman. Just like clockwork, MPs are beginning to crawl out of the woodwork to proclaim Braverman true defender of the Tory faith and, while they’re at it, stick it to the Prime Minister. The list of MPs who have criticised Sunak’s decision to give
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Remembrance Sunday traditionally brings with it a pause in political hostilities but not for Nadine Dorries. The former Culture Secretary was out on Laura Kuenssberg’s show this morning, three days on from the release of her long-awaited book on the supposed ‘plot’ to bring down Boris Johnson in which Michael Gove is cast as one
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It’s a busy old time if you’re Nigel Farage. The Brexiteer is expected to shortly become the latest politician to enter the jungle on ITV’s hit show I’m A Celebrity – Get Me Out of Here. But before that, Farage has certain scores to settle: including with the state-backed NatWest bank. He is now seeking millions
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Rarely has a protest had so much hype before it has even happened. But today’s pro-Palestinian march had something for everyone. Sadiq Khan has pointed the finger of blame at Suella Braverman over the attempts by right wing protesters to ambush pro-Palestine supporters. Meanwhile, the chants of ‘from the river to the sea’ have led
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Ding, ding, ding! The latest round of fighting has just concluded in the weird and wonderful world of Tory WhatsApp groups. In a series of messages obtained by Sky News, various backbenchers turn on each another in the ongoing fall-out from Suella Braverman’s row with the Metropolitan Police. Some were supportive; others critical but one
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It would be easy to get the impression that the Covid Inquiry – with its relentless focus on bad language and offensive WhatsApp messages – has so far been a waste of time. But that’s not quite true: it’s been a massive waste of money too. Today the Inquiry released its accounts for up to September 2023,
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The SNP’s finances are back at the top of the news agenda. Michael Matheson, Holyrood’s hopeless health secretary has somehow managed to rack up an £11,000 bill on his parliamentary iPad. It appears that when the government minister was holidaying in Morocco with his family, he forgot to switch on his WiFi. But instead of
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In these difficult times, at least we can all count on Nadine Dorries to give us a good laugh. The former Culture Secretary was up early on the Today programme to mark publication day of her book on the supposed ‘plot’ to bring down Boris Johnson. Her thesis, she told a bemused Nick Robinson, was that five
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Douglas Murray popped up on Talk TV last night live from the Gaza border – and his head-to-head with Piers Morgan soon turned fiery. Morgan argued that Murray was wrong to suggest that all those taking to the streets of London to show their solidarity with Palestinians ‘are pro-Hamas’. ‘You don’t honestly think they’re all
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The Holyrood WhatsApp drama can now be upgraded from ‘mystery’ to ‘scandal’. As if not handing over important messages wasn’t bad enough, the First Minister and his deputy have today been accused of misleading the Scottish parliament on the UK Covid Inquiry. It seems pantomime season starts early north of the border… Yousaf and deputy
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Just Stop Oil has been out of the news lately. But this week, its members are back and more annoying than ever, as they protest against the black stuff. Following an attack on a painting at the National Gallery on Monday, JSO activists have been holding up traffic in central London today by sitting in the
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The watering holes of SW1 were full last night, with MPs dissecting the day’s King’s Speech. But as attention turns to the Autumn Statement and the next big parliamentary set-piece occasion, a collection of Conservatives were mulling their next moves. For a 20-strong tax cutting group of Tories got together in Smith Square – onetime
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Oh dear. Just hours after Keir Starmer was touting Labour as a government-in-waiting, he lost his first frontbencher over the ongoing Gaza conflict. Imran Hussain last night quit as Shadow Minister for the New Deal for Working People, after eight years serving as a party spokesman. Hussain was one of fifteen Labour frontbenchers who have
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Shock, horror! Something surprising happened today at the Covid Inquiry. Thus far, much of what we have heard has been predictable or even mundane. Simon Case made a fool of himself? Stop the presses. The civil service thought No. 10 was a shambles? Halt the front page. Nobody liked Matt Hancock? Quick, get the editor.
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Oh dear. It seems after repeatedly trying (and failing) to defeat Arron Banks in court, Carole Cadwalladr has now lost for the final time. For the Supreme Court today refused the Observer journalist’s application for permission to appeal the Court of Appeal’s costs ruling in the libel case of Banks v Cadwalladr. Leaving her with
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From the Lords to the Commons: the state opening of parliament is truly a bicameral affair. Fresh from diadem-spotting in the Upper House, Mr S headed down to the other place after lunch, to hear the Loyal Address. This is the parliamentary procedure used to formally open the debate on the King’s Speech, with the
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Talk about the fickle nature of politics. Two months ago, Kemi Badenoch was crowned as the Tory members’ favourite, according to the Conservative Home league table of party activists. But now her crown has been stolen by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, who nabs the top spot for the first time with an impressive +71.8
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It’s the King’s Speech tomorrow and all of Westminster can barely contain itself. A new monarch might be on the throne, but the usual pre-briefing game hasn’t changed, with press stories aplenty as to the draft laws that are likely to be included. One bill that is set to be announced tomorrow is legislation to
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Nadine Dorries continues to make waves in Westminster. One episode she references in her book concerns shocking claims that the Tory party ‘covered up’ incidents of sexual misconduct by one of its own MPs. Today’s Mail on Sunday reports that Sir Jake Berry, who served as chairman between September and October 2022, wrote to the
