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.

Now even Sir Alan Duncan turns on Stonewall

6 September 2021 4:35 pm

Covid has meant it’s been a tough old year for the charity sector – but few have had it worse…

Six times Remainers denied an EU army would happen

5 September 2021 6:47 am

One of the points of discussion which dominated British politics in the Brexit era was the possibility of the formation…

When will Twitter treat Biden like Trump?

2 September 2021 4:12 pm

With the conclusion of the disastrously-executed Afghanistan withdrawal, the attention of Joe Biden and his loyal media apparatchiks has turned to…

Fact check: how much US kit have the Taliban got?

2 September 2021 8:05 am

With the war in Afghanistan having officially ended on Monday, the world’s thoughts have turned to how the Taliban will…

Is troubled Trudeau the new Theresa May?

1 September 2021 8:30 am

Oh dear. For years Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been at pains to prove his feminist credentials. Whether it’s correcting a…

Covid collapse fails to revive MPs' bars

31 August 2021 5:15 pm

The bars at Parliament have played host to many scenes over the years – plots, arguments, merriment and even fisticuffs –…

Expelled leftists mull new party

30 August 2021 12:12 pm

The not-so-great and good of the onetime Labour left were out in force last night, as members of Labour Against the…

UK-New Zealand trade deal likely within weeks

28 August 2021 1:00 am

September is shaping up to be a big month for Liz Truss and the Department for International Trade. While the minister…

Prince Harry’s eco-warrior credentials take another hit

22 August 2021 9:58 am

Life seems to be going well for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after they officially split from the royal…

China's state broadcaster returns to British airwaves

21 August 2021 9:00 pm

It’s a hard tasking trying to sell China these days. What with the crackdown on Hong Kong, the subjugation of…

Which lobbyists run MPs' interest groups?

20 August 2021 11:30 pm

David Cameron’s links to Greensill have brought the issue of lobbying back into the spotlight. Next month the Committee on…

Finally, the Sussexes speak out on Afghanistan

19 August 2021 7:43 am

If you’re an Afghan translator sheltering in a Kabul compound, life must seem pretty grim. The Taliban’s triumph has brought…

Labour lefties show their solidarity

17 August 2021 7:04 pm

Once the British left fought for civil rights, social justice and the brotherhood of man. But now such high principles…

Cameron snubs Osborne

17 August 2021 2:14 am

The papers have been full of speculation this month about rumours of a rift between Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson.…

Tony Blair takes back control

15 August 2021 9:36 am

Last month Steerpike reported news that Tony Blair was plotting a return to Parliament. One of the many unwanted consequences…

Winning here: the Lib Dems' links with China

13 August 2021 9:28 pm

Earlier this week Mr S brought you news of the latest interminable row splitting the Lib Dems: what to do about Vince…

Cambridge XR academic brags after prosecution dropped

12 August 2021 6:55 pm

Since being formed in May 2018, the eco-warriors of Extinction Rebellion have done their best to endear themselves to commuters across…

The BBC's woke guide to gender

11 August 2021 6:59 pm

Earlier this week, Mr S brought you the BBC’s internal guide to talking about climate change and how to win…

Revealed: the BBC guide for covering climate change

10 August 2021 7:48 am

Climate change is once again dominating the news agenda. A report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that even if…

Guy Verhofstadt claims Olympic gold for the EU

6 August 2021 7:00 am

Who is on top of the gold medal table at the Tokyo Olympics? China? The United States? According to former European…

Why is the EU attending the butcher of Tehran’s inauguration?

5 August 2021 6:18 am

At the beginning of the year Donald Trump’s Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, was forced to hastily cancel a diplomatic…

BBC (finally) upholds complaint on gender-transitioning article

1 August 2021 2:50 pm

The BBC has had its fair share of reporting controversies in recent years. But transgender issues have been a particularly…

Revealed: Top mandarins' bumper pandemic bonuses

31 July 2021 3:30 am

The news this month that the government will offer nurses a 3 per cent pay rise didn’t exactly go to as…

Floods force Labour reconciliation

29 July 2021 3:07 am

The morass of flooding politics have claimed a fair few scalps over the years. Those with long memories will recall the…

Five experts who predicted daily Covid cases would hit 100,000

28 July 2021 9:28 am

A lot was said and written about the UK’s decision to press ahead with July 19, the so-called ‘Freedom Day’…