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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Reform UK kicks off party conference season tomorrow. Thousands of attendees are expected to flock to the Birmingham NEC to hear from Nigel Farage, Zia Yusuf and others. A year after the last jamboree, the party is keen to emphasise how much it has grown in the 12 months since: 700 councillors, the Runcorn triumph
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To Westminster magistrates’ court, where Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan appeared today to face charges of harassment and criminal damage against a teenage trans activist. The court heard today that the comedian smashed the phone of a transgender activist, 18-year-old Sophia Brooks, and made targeted ‘vindictive’ social media posts between 11-27 October 2024. The comedy
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They may be trailing both the party of government and the unofficial opposition in the polls, but it’s not all bad for the Conservatives. The latest Electoral Commission figures show that the Tories have managed to out-fundraise all other political parties when it comes to donations – for the third quarter in a row. Talk
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It would be putting it mildly to say that Angela Rayner has had better weeks in politics. The Deputy Prime Minister has been in the spotlight over the last few days after admitting on Wednesday that she had underpaid stamp duty on her third property. While Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave a spirited defence of
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It is a tough time for the Tories right now. Nigel Farage’s grinning face appears to be everywhere, as the Conservatives desperately try to find fresh relevance in opposition. One idea that some senior figures within Conservative Campaign Headquarters have alighted upon in recent months is creating a new ‘digital army’. The hope is that
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Prime Minister Keir Starmer took aim at Nigel Farage in PMQs today for not being in the Chamber. In fact, the Reform leader is on the other side of the Atlantic, testifying to the House Judiciary Committee on the state of free speech in the UK. The timing couldn’t have been better for Farage, what
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To the Deputy Prime Minister, who has been in the spotlight over the last week over accusations she avoided tax on one of her properties. Angela Rayner has now given a rather revelatory interview in which she admits that she didn’t pay enough stamp duty on her Hove residence, she has referred herself to the
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The arrest of comedian Graham Linehan at Heathrow Airport this week over his Twitter posts sparked outrage across the country – but you can count on the Greens to take an opposing view. While shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick has condemned the move as ‘ridiculous’ and Health Secretary Wes Streeting has even suggested the law
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Well, well, well. The arrest of Graham Linehan this week sparked outrage after the Father Ted co-creator was taken into custody by police after landing in Heathrow on Monday. The comedian was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence in relation to his Twitter posts about transgender people before being bailed pending further investigation. Shadow justice
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Summer recess has only just ended but the government has not enjoyed a relaxed return to Westminster. After Reform UK controlled the narrative over the holidays, with its ‘lawless Britain’ campaign and immigration announcement last week, Labour is struggling to take back control of the agenda. On Monday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper made a statement
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As if it hadn’t experienced enough splits over the last few weeks, it transpires that Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s new party is divided over its policy on trans issues. ‘Your Party’ – not its official name, according to a fuming Sultana – is set to have six MPs, with four pro-Gaza independents to join
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If there are two things Angela Rayner can’t stand, it’s Tories (previously labelled scum) and tax avoiders. So Tories avoiding tax, that really gets her riled up. Back in 2017, Rayner tweeted: ‘@jeremycorbyn correct to raise tax dodging issue, the public are furious with those who get away with tax avoidance while they pay! #pmqs’
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The House of Commons returns next week – and not a moment too soon for some in government. After a summer in which Nigel Farage has dominated the airwaves, Labour is keen to try and move the news agenda onto their preferred choice of subject. With rumours swirling about a reshuffle, No. 10 will be
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Buckingham Palace has endured its fair share of shocks and crises over the years. But last night, His Majesty was hit by the latest bombshell: Sir Ed Davey will not be attending his upcoming banquet to host Donald Trump. The Liberal Democrat leader is boycotting the event in protest at the President’s stance on Gaza.
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‘Tory gain!’ is a cry heard less and less frequently these days. But in a rare piece of good news for the current HM Opposition, Tory MP George Freeman has today been cleared of ‘Cash for Questions’ accusations by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. The former Science Minister referred himself to the watchdog back in June following
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Following Farage’s deportation declaration yesterday, Labour have gone on the attack. In a speech today on the future of EU relations, Europe Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds hit out at Farage, declaring he wants Britain to fail. Speaking at The Spectator, he told the assembled great and the not-so-good of HM Press Gallery that: Aside for his
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Power, said Henry Kissinger, is the ultimate aphrodisiac – but it also seems to improve your property prospects too. Angela Rayner is back in the headlines, having just purchased a new £800,000 property in Hove. She is under fire amid questions about her two residences: a grace and favour flat in Admiralty House and her
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The magic grandpa is back in town! Jeremy Corbyn’s new leftwing outfit – ‘Your Party’ – is seeking a rebrand, ahead of its long-awaited launch. The outlet has so far got off to a rocky start, after co-leader Zarah Sultana shocked some involved by launching it late one Thursday night. But now, in a bid
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The new party of the left has got off to a pretty shaky start. It doesn’t have a proper name, its co-leaders (Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana) barely get along and already left-wing activists are trying to oust party strategists. But no matter: the group is ploughing ahead and will, it transpires, be launching its
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It’s the issue that has dominated the week: hotels housing asylum seekers. On Tuesday, the High Court granted a temporary injunction to Epping Forest district council, meaning that the asylum seekers living in Essex’s Bell Hotel will have to be removed within 24 days. The landmark ruling has prompted councils across the country to consider