Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from London and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk.

Watch: Labour MPs squabble over Makerfield

9 June 2026 5:48 pm

“Have you been [to Makerfield], Clive?” “I’m going up tomorrow” “Come up, I’ll happily take you for a pint” Culture…

Parliament’s artificial scrutiny

9 June 2026 2:49 am

AI has taken the world by storm, and few workplaces have been immune to its impact. In the House of…

Polanski pushes price hikes

9 June 2026 2:37 am

When he’s not ranting about Gaza, Zack Polanski is mostly to be found despairing about the cost of living. And…

Cabinet Office loses the spin count

9 June 2026 1:11 am

You’d be hard pressed to find a member of the public who thinks the Labour government is doing a sterling…

Reform Scotland poach GB News man

7 June 2026 3:42 am

With Rachel Reeves in the Treasury, many employers are having to make cut backs. But in the case of Reform…

Andy Burnham’s manifesto: A full list

6 June 2026 2:42 am

People will say almost anything to win power. Sir Keir Starmer’s rise is a case in point. In 2020, he…

Lord Hermer: ECHR critics want migrants to drown

6 June 2026 1:27 am

Everyone’s favourite human rights aficionado is back at it again. Clearly not content with comparing critics of the ECHR to…

David Lammy’s leadership challenge denial

5 June 2026 6:49 pm

There is not a leadership contest to enter “at this stage”, says deputy prime minister David Lammy as he offers…

Darren Jones’ Mandy memory failure

5 June 2026 3:23 am

If you’re not a fan of any of the current contenders for Labour leader, then why not try Darren Jones?…

Labour’s growing pains

4 June 2026 10:22 pm

Almost every MP in Westminster will claim that tackling the cost-of-living crisis is their number one priority. It is the…

Who’s winning the donations battle?

4 June 2026 8:50 pm

Reform has triumphed in the donations league table for the first quarter of 2026, raking in an eye-watering £9.4 million.…

BBC apologises to Farage (again)

4 June 2026 4:36 am

Another day, another BBC apology. This time, the corporation has said sorry to Nigel Farage after presenter Matt Chorley misquoted…

Named: The MPs gunning to overturn trans guidance

4 June 2026 1:15 am

If you thought the long-awaited publication of trans guidance had finally put an end to years of madness over toilets…

MP assisted dying hopes on life support

3 June 2026 12:45 am

A co-sponsor of Kim Leadbeater’s failed assisted suicide Bill has privately admitted to constituents that MPs trying to ram through…

Watch: Labour MP slams party’s trans obsession

2 June 2026 9:56 pm

Totally fascinating clip. The ? that @Jonathan_Hinder gives Derbyshire, as she actively works to get him to describe ‘trans rights’…

Flashback: Polanski attacks rent controls

2 June 2026 9:33 pm

Zack Polanski in April 2016 citing San Francisco as a prime example of why rent controls don’t work and stifle…

Nigel Farage: Enough of anti-white prejudice

2 June 2026 7:06 pm

The fear of being called racist was greater than dealing with Henry Nowak’s murder. We should respond to this with…

Five highlights of the Mandelson files

2 June 2026 1:38 am

Happy Mandelson files’ release day, one and all. After months of speculation, the Cabinet Office has today finally released all…

New Health Secretary: I’ve changed my mind on trans

1 June 2026 8:13 pm

“You’ve said in the past ‘trans women are women’. Have you changed your mind?”@JustinOnWeb asks new Health Secretary James Murray…

Zia Yusuf doesn’t hold back

30 May 2026 2:36 am

The tragic murder of Henry Nowak has sparked fury across Britain. The 18-year-old was disgracefully arrested and handcuffed by police…

Whitehall’s missing list

29 May 2026 10:26 pm

Standards in Whitehall have not exactly been high for quite some time. Whether it is working from the sofa, demanding…

Andy Burnham demands more state control

29 May 2026 4:22 am

After being warned by Sir Tony Blair in a 5,600-word essay not to drag the country back to the 1970s,…

Which party leader really rules social media?

28 May 2026 10:42 pm

Much has been made of which politicians dominate social media. A sizeable following on platforms such as X, Facebook and…

George Osborne under fire over postponed Jewish event

28 May 2026 9:26 pm

Furious MPs have hit out at George Osborne after the British Museum postponed a lecture on the kingdoms of ancient…

Wes Streeting wants to win over farmers

28 May 2026 3:59 am

This week I’m on the road to hear directly from people who have lost faith in Labour, why and what…