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.

‘Serial bully’ Bercow back in Labour

8 August 2026 7:04 am

Keir Starmer might be gone but Labour is still counting the cost of his legacy. Party membership figures published this…

Labour: Kids can vote – but not use sunbeds

6 August 2026 9:17 pm

Stop the presses! Labour has, at last, found something it thinks sixteen-year-olds should not be allowed to use. Not a…

Jason Arday quits Cambridge (finally)

6 August 2026 7:20 am

So. Farewell then Jason Arday. The 37-year-old lackademic has tonight resigned his post at Cambridge University – the latest chapter…

Treasury fires warning shot at wealthy

6 August 2026 12:39 am

We are two weeks into Burnhamania and the Prime Minister has already, er, earned himself a break. Somewhere abroad, our…

Watch: Lowe offers an alliance with Farage

2 August 2026 8:05 pm

The Greater Manchester result showed what Restore Britain can deliver. The next step is how we maximise the chances of…

Watch: Haigh pleads for a second chance

1 August 2026 12:24 am

“I hope they will give me a second chance to serve in government.” First Secretary of State Louise Haigh addresses…

Burnham welcomes Diane Abbott back to Labour

31 July 2026 9:45 pm

Andy Burnham has continued his warm embrace of Labour’s worst lefties by reinstating Diane Abbott to the parliamentary party. The…

Watch: Thousands of illegal migrants storm the border into Spain

31 July 2026 4:17 am

Ceuta is a small Spanish enclave. It would be very easy for the military to round-up everyone who has just…

Watch: French police sit back as small boats set sail

30 July 2026 3:16 am

This is jaw-dropping French Gendarmes admit today they have orders not to stop migrants – only talk to them –…

Trade unions boycott Labour women’s conference over trans ban

30 July 2026 1:46 am

Labour has once again descended into infighting because swathes of its members and trade union chums remain unable to comprehend…

Watch: French warship fires warning shots near Chris Philp in Channel

28 July 2026 9:53 pm

On the channel today monitoring illegal migrant crossings … as I was being interviewed by the BBC just now a…

Labour backbenchers restart welfare whinging

28 July 2026 9:06 pm

It’s day eight of Andy Burnham’s premiership and, bless him, he’s already facing a left-wing revolt. Labour backbenchers are up…

Labour MPs’ embarrassing Berlin response

28 July 2026 2:43 am

What is it about tragedy that brings out the worst in some people? After the horrifying attack on Berlin Pride,…

Europe minister suggests rejoining EU could be in next manifesto

27 July 2026 10:30 pm

It has only been a week since Andy Burnham’s big reshuffle and there are a fair few ministers still trying…

John Lewis gets behind Labour MP’s dildo campaign

25 July 2026 1:20 am

Just in case you were worried it had slipped off the agenda, Labour MP Samantha Niblett has confirmed that her…

Watch: Farage’s car crash heckler

24 July 2026 12:31 am

Usually the phrase ‘car crash interview’ is only a metaphor, referring to a politician after a terrible exchange. But now…

Badenoch on Shapps: The Tories are now a ‘very different party’

24 July 2026 12:28 am

“This is a new and different Conservative Party.” Sky’s @LucyJMcDaid asks Kemi Badenoch about reports former Conservative cabinet minister Sir…

Gary Lineker’s tax hypocrisy

23 July 2026 10:55 pm

The UK’s king of virtue signalling has served up another blinder. Gary Lineker has joined 119 fellow millionaires in signing…

Stella Creasy’s bird-brained parrot alert

23 July 2026 3:33 am

Walthamstow has anyone lost a parrot? There’s one in Lloyd park right now! Please share to help reunite it with…

Burnham’s policy blitz backfires

22 July 2026 9:04 pm

Oh dear. It is only day three of Andy Burnham’s premiership and his policy blitz is already descending into quite…

Civil service no-shows threaten Burnham’s northern vision

21 July 2026 9:25 pm

Andy Burnham has made moving civil servants oop North a key plank of his promise to revive prosperity across the…

Andy Burnham’s rough record on homelessness

21 July 2026 12:02 am

Taking a leaf out of Jeremy Corbyn’s playbook, Andy Burnham today used his first pledge as Prime Minister to promise…

The SDP makes a bid for Clacton

18 July 2026 12:59 am

William Clouston (@WilliamClouston), SDP, is standing to give the people of Clacton full and fair debate. ?@UKLabour won’t serve Clacton.@Conservatives…

Liz Truss brings CPAC to Britain – but not the crowds

17 July 2026 3:24 am

I’m not going to say that CPAC is dead… but it’s not the most alive… pic.twitter.com/IsRoUTenz0 — Anna Ridgway (@annaroseridgway)…

Sadiq Khan gains a gong

17 July 2026 2:30 am

Just when you thought you couldn’t dislike Sir Keir Starmer any more, he has gone and awarded Sir Sadiq Khan…