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.

LSE students demand abolition of Hayek Society

27 July 2021 9:13 am

Another day, another student fiasco. This time the scene of the crime is the London School of Economics and a…

Tory conference to require vaccine passports

23 July 2021 8:03 am

Boris Johnson’s announcement on Monday that Covid passports could be introduced for mass events from September did not got down…

Gove addresses Westminster rumours

22 July 2021 4:23 pm

The wine was flowing at last night’s Policy Exchange summer soirée as attendees unburdened themselves of the stresses of the past…

Will PETA be given a veto on all UK policy?

22 July 2021 1:30 am

The government’s flagship Animal Sentience Bill is (slowly) making its way through parliament, with Monday afternoon seeing the Defra select committee…

Six things we’re unlikely to read in Prince Harry’s memoir

21 July 2021 4:23 pm

In a fresh bid to secure privacy for himself and his family, Prince Harry has announced this week that he…

Isolation stats delayed as statisticians forced to isolate

21 July 2021 8:15 am

A spectre is haunting Britain: the spectre of the ‘pingdemic.’ With Covid cases on the uptick, it is no surprise that more than…

Corbyn crashes Corbyn's protest

21 July 2021 1:12 am

Two Corbyns descended on Downing Street today as Westminster was treated to a family reunion. The first, the better-known Jeremy, was…

Did Dom Cummings save the Queen?

20 July 2021 4:11 pm

For a man who professes to despise the media, Dominic Cummings is certainly adept at courting it. The former No…

Double-vaxxed Saj tests positive: who's getting pinged?

18 July 2021 12:12 am

As the government prepares to lift nearly all legal Covid restrictions on Monday, ministers are at pains to emphasise that…

Three horse race to join the 1922 executive

17 July 2021 5:33 pm

There are just six days left before the Commons rises for recess but there’s still time for one last election.…

Starmer's youth wing backs Cuban dictatorship

16 July 2021 10:30 pm

Oh dear. Having squeaked home in the Batley by-election and with the summer recess less than a week away, Sir…

The Marcus Rashford mural – an anatomy of a moral panic

16 July 2021 6:51 pm

Late on Sunday night, less than an hour after England lost on penalties to Italy in the European championship final,…

Michael Gove's paper-thin case for Covid passports

15 July 2021 8:35 am

Next Monday is ‘freedom day’ when all social distancing restrictions are removed. Clubs will reopen, pubs will be packed, sports…

Is Tony Blair on the verge of a comeback?

14 July 2021 12:24 am

The last few years have been tough for Jeremy Corbyn. One minute you’re being heralded by the trustafarians of Glastonbury; the next you’re…

Oxford college's Rhodes hypocrisy revealed

13 July 2021 7:06 am

Regular readers of Steerpike may recall last month the 150 Oxford academics who made headlines by boycotting Oriel College and refusing to teach…

The Queen praises England's 'spirit, commitment and pride'

11 July 2021 4:07 am

In a heartfelt letter addressed to Gareth Southgate, HM the Queen has sent her ‘good wishes’ to the team and praised…

Terf war embroils Guardian HQ

10 July 2021 10:14 am

Fractious times over at Guardian towers. The long-running battle between Kath Viner, the paper’s editor, and Anette Thomas, the media…

Lords bombard flagship Animal Sentience Bill

7 July 2021 11:25 pm

Speak to battle-scarred Tory veterans of the 2017 snap election and they’ll regale you with horror tales about animal sentience. A…

Michael Gove and Sarah Vine announce divorce

3 July 2021 2:27 am

It’s been a bad week for marriages in Westminster. First the revelation of Matt Hancock’s affair with adviser, friend and…

A complete history of Jew-baiter George Galloway's electoral defeats

2 July 2021 6:55 pm

Labour’s Kim Leadbeater may be celebrating her triumph in Batley and Spen (though not as much as her leader Keir Starmer)…

How the BBC put Bill Clinton in prison

2 July 2021 8:56 am

Yesterday the US comedian Bill Cosby left prison, after the Philadelphia Supreme Court overturned his conviction for sexual assault in…

Poll: 2019 Tories still backing Boris

1 July 2021 7:53 am

It’s by-election day in Batley and Spen tomorrow. The only constituency polling done in the West Yorkshire seat suggests that the Tories…

Tories publicly clash over Chinese takeaway

28 June 2021 8:00 pm

Efforts to rid Huawei from Britain’s 5G mobile network were a constant feature of Tory politics last year. The question…

Can Javid beat the blob at the Department of Health?

28 June 2021 6:54 pm

One man’s loss is another man’s gain. Matt Hancock’s downfall has meant the return of Sajid Javid, restored to Cabinet…

SNP MSP in racist bus row apologises (again)

26 June 2021 6:59 pm

Regular readers may recall the tale of James Dornan, SNP MSP and amateur Hate-Finder General. Earlier this month, he gave…