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.

Pundits left red-faced over ‘serious politics’ claims

7 October 2024 3:10 am

Another one bites the dust. Now Sue Gray has resigned from her top job as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of…

SNP police probe investigating fake company claim

7 October 2024 1:20 am

Back to Scotland, where the police probe into the SNP’s funds and finances continues to rumble on. Now it transpires…

Kemi Badenoch wins a surprise endorsement

6 October 2024 6:50 pm

It’s just four days to go until the next round of voting for Tory leader. So, with the various candidates…

Scottish Tories fume over leadership rivals snubbing Scotland

5 October 2024 4:08 am

Back to the Tory leadership contest which is gathering pace post-conference season. In a matter of days, MPs will cast…

Could Starmer sign away the Falklands too?

5 October 2024 12:16 am

When Sir Keir Starmer announced on Thursday that the UK will cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, he…

Fifteen top takes from Boris Johnson’s memoir

4 October 2024 10:35 pm

Boris Johnson’s new memoir Unleashed is to be published next week, and with the highly-anticipated account promising to be the…

Cleverly and Jenrick slam CCHQ machine

4 October 2024 7:06 pm

Who would want to work in Conservative Campaign Headquarters? The election this year was certainly not Tory high command’s finest…

Labour in fresh ‘cash for croissants’ storm

4 October 2024 5:16 pm

It’s a day ending a ‘y’ – so there’s another Labour scandal brewing. After the ‘passes for glasses’ row about…

Boris and Liz in Chagos Islands’ blame game

4 October 2024 4:37 pm

Mauritius is getting the Chagos Islands – and a lot of Tories ain’t happy. Tom Tugendhat calls it a ‘shameful…

Starmer’s friend revealed as Mauritius’ chief legal adviser

4 October 2024 3:51 am

There was national outrage this morning at the news that Sir Keir’s Labour has decided to cede sovereignty of the…

Police Scotland slammed over leaked Isla Bryson memo

4 October 2024 2:06 am

The end of Nicola Sturgeon’s premiership was mired in controversy over her plans for trans rights, her botched gender reform…

Why is the police probe into Nicola Sturgeon taking so long?

3 October 2024 11:13 pm

As Scots look ahead to the 2026 Holyrood election, support for the Scottish National Party continues to plummet. One scandal…

Sir Keir pays back £6,000 worth of gifts

3 October 2024 8:46 pm

To the latest development in Labour’s freebie fiasco, as it transpires that Sir Keir Starmer has paid back over £6,000…

Lord Alli under investigation for donations

3 October 2024 5:44 am

Dear oh dear. It now transpires that Lord Alli is under investigation by the Lords Commissioner – with the millionaire…

London’s failed night czar resigns

3 October 2024 3:11 am

At long last, and not a day too soon, it transpires that London’s ‘night czar’ is standing down. Amy Lamé…

Labour under scrutiny over gambling gifts

2 October 2024 10:40 pm

Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour lot have had a tough time of it lately with the freebie fiasco – and it’s…

Why hasn’t Trump congratulated J.D. Vance?

2 October 2024 9:28 pm

Even the most ardent Trump-loathers are admitting that, last night, the Republican vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance easily won his debate…

Watch: Tugendhat jibes at Jenrick over special forces

2 October 2024 7:46 am

Uh oh. There’s trouble in Tory paradise after leadership candidate Robert Jenrick made some rather questionable remarks about the armed…

Dorries: Kemi should be ‘disqualified’ from leadership race

2 October 2024 6:33 am

This year’s Tory conference has seen a number of old faces as well as new – and the appearance of…

Tugendhat: My Roger Scruton row comments were ‘twisted’

2 October 2024 5:20 am

It’s the final night of Tory party conference and tempers are fraying. Three of the four leadership candidates have ended…

Badenoch’s feud with Farage continues

2 October 2024 1:57 am

The Tory leadership race is ramping up — and so is Kemi Badenoch’s anti-Reform rhetoric. The contender for the top…

Jenrick reveals daughter’s middle name is Thatcher

2 October 2024 12:50 am

It’s the second day of the big Tory leadership interviews at party conference and Robert Jenrick is on the main…

Rees-Mogg takes aim at Badenoch over Reform remarks

1 October 2024 10:43 pm

It’s day three of the Conservative party conference, and so far the blue-on-blue has been kept to a minimum —…

Sunak’s government more popular than Labour, poll reveals

1 October 2024 8:34 pm

As the Tory leadership hustings continue, there’s a bit of good news for outgoing boss Rishi Sunak. It now transpires…

Simon Case hands in resignation letter

1 October 2024 2:16 am

While the Conservative party conference is in full swing in Birmingham, back in Whitehall there have been some major developments.…