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
Rupa Huq was the unfortunate Labour front-bencher sent out to explain the party’s latest Brexit policy on Politics Live this afternoon. Armed with the standard party line that Labour can somehow unite Britain on Brexit, she struggled under the strain of a classic Andrew Neil grilling. Moreover, Huq made the following bold claim: "We do
After the Prime Minister turned her ire on a lobby hack this week for failing to ask her a serious question, Theresa May has now moved on to would-be journalists in the Tory party. In the latest edition of the House magazine, James Cleverly – the deputy chairman – interviews his boss. In the easy touch,
There’s a burning question being asked everywhere from Liverpool to London: is Diane Abbott capable of getting through a single interview without committing a massive blunder? After another stellar performance on Newsnight, the answer almost certainly appears to be no. When the shadow home secretary was asked by Emily Maitlis if Labour’s Brexit immigration stance
Whisper it quietly, but Theresa May might actually be having a good week for once. While Labour fill up the headlines with the chaos over their Brexit position, the Prime Minister has managed to keep a low profile as her cabinet wait for their chance to spring their own conference ambush. So, with the wind
Oh dear. Despite reports this year of a more professional tone at conference, one Labour MP appears to have missed the message. Last year John McDonnell told a conference fringe that his party was wargaming for a ‘run on the pound’ in the event they were elected. This year’s socialist slip-up has been committed by
Jeremy Corbyn’s adviser and close friend Andrew Murray has been scratching his head of late as to why he still hasn’t had his request for a Parliamentary security pass granted. In search of answers, Murray has hit out at the ‘deep state’ made up of spies and sinister civil servants looking to thwart a left-wing government. However,
The Labour Friends of Israel reception at the party’s conference has traditionally been attended by the Labour leader. But this year, as in recent years, Jeremy Corbyn did not attend. Instead it fell to the party’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, to make an appearance. Watson was introduced as a ‘long standing friend of Israel’ and
It’s the eve of the Leader’s Speech at Labour conference and Jeremy Corbyn has attempted to set the mood with an extra speech at the Mirror conference party. The Labour leader told an adoring crowd that this conference was historic – before thanking them for being one of the okay media publications: ‘Conference this week
When it comes to numbers, Diane Abbott doesn’t have a good track record. And it seems that’s still the case for the shadow home secretary. Delivering her speech to Labour conference this afternoon, Abbott intended to talk about 999 calls. But unfortunately the Labour MP fell one number short: Oh dear…
Jeremy Corbyn has famously said that he wants a ‘kinder, gentler politics’. But it seems one of his close allies didn’t get the message. Union leader Tosh McDonald took to the stage at Labour conference this morning to tell his fellow party members of just how much he hates Margaret Thatcher: ‘I say this many
It’s all kicking off at Labour conference. A Labour supporter has just given a speech on Palestine from the main stage, but when he was told his time was up he refused to leave the stage: ‘My time is not up. I am speaking for the Palestinian people. I’ve got a couple more lines and
It’s Labour conference and the party is supposed to be setting out its plan for government. Only when it comes to Brexit, no-one is quite sure what that is. In the interest of clarity, Mr S will be running a live blog with the latest twists in the party’s apparent Brexit policy: 11am: Keir Starmer
It’s fair to say to say that the leader of Scottish Labour, Richard Leonard has struggled to make his mark since he was elected in 2017. While the position used to automatically command respect as the figurehead of the dominant party north of the border, after several catastrophic elections, Labour and the position have been
This year’s Labour conference has been praised for adopting a more professional tone than previous years. However, today that message appears to have been lost. After the party pulled plans at the last minute for a female deputy leader, Keir Starmer appears to have gone off script in his big Brexit conference speech. Sir Keir
The Corbynistas don’t have much time for Kate Hoey, the Labour MP and ardent Brexiteer. Owen Jones accused Hoey of propping up a government that is leading Britain ‘into calamity’ by refusing to vote down the Tories over Brexit. But the MP for Vauxhall has a message for her critics: it isn’t me you should
To the dismay of many of Jeremy Corbyn’s parliamentary colleagues, foreign policy is the Labour leader’s main passion. Corbyn rarely appears more animated than when discussing the plight of Palestinians – or lambasting the Saudi Arabian government. So, Mr S listened with interest as Corbyn’s closest allies gathered at Labour conference for a Stop the
Dawn Butler’s decision to back Militant didn’t go down well on the first day of Labour conference, but the shadow equalities minister can still count on Corbyn’s loyal defenders to stick up for her. Former spinner for the Labour leader, Matt Zarb-Cousin, rushed to Butler’s defence on Sky News. But when he was asked to
A teacher and Labour party member has just taken to the stage at the party’s conference talking of the importance of giving kids a good education. Sensible enough, you might think. Except for the fact that Sion Rickard said that if children were educated properly it would mean that Tories would no longer exist. Here’s
What would the government’s immigration policy look like if Diane Abbott was Home Secretary? Abbott’s speech on the fringe of the Labour conference made it clear what it won’t be, even if what it will be is less certain. It won’t involve immigration detention centres, which Abbott has vowed to shut down. The shadow home
Here we go again. Although Labour conference has become increasingly Corbynite in recent years, the Progress rally can always be relied upon as a safe space for Labour moderates. And so it was that Corbyn-sceptic Labour MPs gathered at the annual event on Sunday night to air their grievances. Wes Streeting – the Labour MP
