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.

Will David Lammy apologise to Grenfell judge?

9 September 2024 4:27 pm

In the fall-out from last week’s devastating report on the Grenfell report, it seems one question has not been asked…

Veterans’ champion quits with blast at Starmer

7 September 2024 1:08 am

Labour have been encouraging plenty of controversy recently with the growing allegations of cronyism surrounding recent civil service and public…

Top Labour donor in ‘operation integrity’ storm

6 September 2024 11:13 pm

It’s a day ending in ‘y’, which means another Labour scandal. Today marks the return of Lord Alli, the media…

BBC bias on Israel set to be probed

6 September 2024 8:42 pm

More bad news for the BBC. Following the fall-out from the Corporation’s catastrophic handling of the Huw Edwards affair, a…

Watch: Miliband blasted over energy bill ‘false promises’

6 September 2024 5:00 pm

Another day, another drama. This time Ed Miliband is in the firing line after his opposite number took aim at…

Night czar’s City Hall no-show

6 September 2024 3:47 am

Over to the Mayor of London and his minions. While the Prime Minister has been busy giving pay rises to…

Tories call for watchdog inquiry into Labour cronyism row

6 September 2024 1:23 am

Back to Whitehall, where the row over civil service appointments continues to gather pace. It transpires that the Conservatives have…

Watch: Labour blasted over ‘shoddy’ Lords reforms

5 September 2024 10:41 pm

To the Lords, where this afternoon an urgent question was granted on the subject of hereditary peers. It follows today’s…

SNP health secretary slammed over Oasis ticket fiasco

5 September 2024 12:59 am

To Scotland, where the SNP’s newest health secretary has found himself in a rather large, Oasis-sized mess. At the weekend,…

Watch: Starmer defers to ‘prime minister’ Sunak at PMQs

4 September 2024 10:35 pm

They say old habits die hard, and Sir Keir Starmer is finding that out for himself today. It’s the first…

SNP government finally accepts Cass review findings

4 September 2024 9:26 pm

Well, well, well. After all of the SNP’s sniping at Dr Hilary Cass’s review into UK gender clinics, it transpires…

MPs hail benefits of ‘Swiftonomics’

4 September 2024 3:30 am

Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras’ tour took the country by storm and it seems Swiftmania has also taken a firm hold of…

Lib Dem MP’s bizarre motion on the Wiggles

3 September 2024 10:08 pm

One might expect politics to showcase quality over quantity but this isn’t always necessarily the case. Take the curious example…

Boris blasts Lammy for ‘abandoning’ Israel

3 September 2024 8:42 pm

It’s certainly not been a quiet return to parliament. On Monday afternoon, Labour’s David Lammy announced that Britain would be…

Starmer faces more backlash over winter fuel payment cuts

3 September 2024 2:29 am

It’s the first day back in parliament after recess and already Labour splits are starting to emerge. Now it transpires…

What does Starmer hang on his wall?

3 September 2024 12:19 am

Political artwork has rather dominated the headlines of late. After Sir Keir’s peculiar opposition to the ‘unsettling’ painting of his…

Starmer rehomes ‘unsettling’ Thatcher painting

2 September 2024 7:03 pm

To Downing Street, where a painting of a former prime minister has been causing quite a stir lately. Sir Keir…

Police probe senior civil servant over Salmond inquiry

31 August 2024 2:34 am

As the SNP conference weekend kicks off, another Scottish story is starting to take shape. It has emerged that detectives…

Jess Phillips: I got better NHS treatment because of my Gaza stance

30 August 2024 9:30 pm

To the new Labour government, where the spotlight is on Jess Phillips and her rather extraordinary revelation. It transpires that…

Sue Gray at centre of yet another civil service job row

30 August 2024 7:21 pm

Another day, another Sue Gray-related drama. Now Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff has come under fire over yet another…

Starmer’s ratings hit record low as cronyism row continues

29 August 2024 10:06 pm

To Downing Street, where it appears the new Prime Minister isn’t having the most pleasant of premierships. Sir Keir Starmer…

Starmer snubs No. 10 Thatcher painting

29 August 2024 7:34 pm

Well, well, well. It seems Sir Keir Starmer wasn’t exaggerating about his ‘change’ agenda. It now transpires that the new…

Labour mulls outdoor smoking ban

29 August 2024 5:20 pm

It looks like there could be bad news again for smokers ahead of the return of parliament in September. Already…

Tories fire starting gun on voluntary chair race

28 August 2024 2:11 am

It’s the Tory race on everyone’s lips. No, not the battle to be the next party leader but rather the…

Watch: Labour minister squirms on ‘passes for glasses’

27 August 2024 6:40 pm

At long last, it’s finally here. After five days of media trails, Keir Starmer’s equivalent of the Gettysburg Address will…