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.

Burnham: Brexit is to blame for illegal migration

26 September 2026 3:44 am

Ahead of Labour conference, Andy Burnham took to the regional airwaves today for a shameless exercise in pandering to the…

Red Ed slammed for cosy talks with Iran

25 September 2026 11:45 pm

Red Ed Miliband was today slammed by the Tories over his cosy sit-down with Iran’s foreign minister on the sidelines…

Watch: Iran’s UN envoy blanks Israel’s Starlink offer

25 September 2026 7:55 pm

This year’s UN General Assembly was a hotbed of dissent and disagreement. World leaders tore into their enemies from the…

Watch: Polanski heckled at Jewish by-election hustings

25 September 2026 7:04 am

Zack Polanski was heckled by furious residents of Holborn and St Pancras at a Jewish community hustings this evening. The…

Lucy Powell: We can’t stop the boats

24 September 2026 8:39 pm

Lucy Powell said the quiet bit out loud this morning as she all but admitted that Labour has given up…

Watch: Muslim activists attempt to cancel Cleese

22 September 2026 4:27 am

Muslim activists in Birmingham have set their sights on national treasure John Cleese, demanding the comedian be cancelled over so-called…

Former teacher takes charge of Reform Wales

21 September 2026 10:59 pm

Nigel Farage has turned to former English teacher Helen Jenner to restore order in Reform’s Welsh ranks. Jenner was today…

MPs to investigate Britain’s Eurovision humiliation

19 September 2026 2:07 am

As if MPs haven’t wasted enough time on Gaza, a select committee has found another pressing national crisis to investigate:…

Watch: Sadiq Khan addresses Zack Polanski in Urdu

17 September 2026 11:30 pm

Zack Polanski was left red-faced at City Hall this morning after Sadiq Khan answered a question from the Green leader…

The Bank of England’s karaoke comrade

17 September 2026 11:13 pm

The general secretary of the Trades Union Congress appears to be a man of many talents – at least in…

Watch: Polanski butchers his French

17 September 2026 3:16 am

Ooh là là, Zack Polanski is at it again. Two days after his Urdu campaign video landed with a thud,…

Watch: Labour MP calls for war against Israel

16 September 2026 10:16 pm

Not content with spending his time campaigning for an airport in Pakistan, Labour’s Tahir Ali has now called for Britain…

Reform’s Wales leader stands down following arrest

16 September 2026 3:46 am

Reform’s leader in Wales has stood down after being arrested over the weekend on suspicion of assault and controlling or…

Rory Stewart: send small boat migrants back to France

15 September 2026 5:18 pm

Who is tougher on immigration: Boris Johnson or Rory Stewart? It seems to be the former Tory MP turned podcaster…

Watch: Polanski campaigns in Urdu for London seat

15 September 2026 4:12 am

After securing the Green party nomination to stand in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, Zac Polanski’s campaign is already…

MPs kill the Assisted Dying Bill

12 September 2026 1:22 am

The moment MPs voted against the assisted dying bill, with 286 votes against and 270 in favour Follow live reaction:…

Watch: Terminally ill Labour MP rails against assisted dying

11 September 2026 9:39 pm

Very powerful speech from @AshleyDalton_MP, who has stage 4 cancer and opposes the assisted dying bill. “I have been terrorised…

Boob-whisperer Polanski picked for Holborn bust-up

11 September 2026 9:11 pm

Tit-whisperer Zack Polanski has officially secured the Green nomination for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. Despite an internal row…

Met launches criminal probe into Reform donations

10 September 2026 1:59 am

Nigel Farage faces yet another headache after the Met confirmed today that it will launch a criminal investigation into allegations…

Watch: Burnham puts benefits before national security

9 September 2026 10:44 pm

Andy Burnham said the quiet part out loud today, suggesting that he values benefits more than national security. In an…

Ed Miliband: The Chief Rabbi is wrong

9 September 2026 7:11 pm

“I don’t agree with the Chief Rabbi.” Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband responds to Ephraim Mirvis’ comments that it’s “a dark…

Stella Creasy’s gender double standard on parade

7 September 2026 10:28 pm

Today in Walthamstow we held the 46th Milad Al Nabi march – it’s a noisy annual celebration for our local…

St Paul’s swaps the divine for drum and bass

7 September 2026 9:19 pm

Lord Khan of Tooting today stepped up his mission to profane the capital, announcing that St Paul’s Cathedral will host…

Inside Badenoch’s economic unit

6 September 2026 2:59 am

Kemi Badenoch’s reshuffle promised a revitalised economic team. Now Mr S can reveal how it is being staffed. A missive…

Watch: Farage’s conference speech disrupted by hecklers

5 September 2026 4:06 am

Nigel Farage has just come off stage here at Reform conference, after a speech marred by disruptions. It started almost…