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.

Jon Sopel’s Rwanda Bill blunder

23 April 2024 12:44 am

It’s hard these days being a teller of truths. So many of the leading lights in British broadcasting have found…

Why won’t the Scottish Greens accept the Cass report?

22 April 2024 6:31 pm

There are many words to describe Patrick Harvie but ‘clinician’ certainly isn’t one of them. Yet his trademark arrogance was…

Scotland’s surprising new free speech champion

21 April 2024 1:38 am

Has Nicola Sturgeon discovered a sudden enthusiasm for free speech? The former SNP leader has today reviewed Salman Rushdie’s latest…

Watch: Sturgeon reacts after husband charged in police probe

20 April 2024 1:14 am

Might this be the worst week of 2024 for the Nats so far? Hapless Humza Yousaf demonstrated extraordinary indecision over…

Rayner’s eldest child was registered at husband’s home

19 April 2024 9:20 pm

It’s been a busy time for police investigations across the country and Manchester is no exception. As the curious case…

The SNP’s net zero hypocrisy

19 April 2024 5:00 pm

The Scottish nationalists are no stranger to hypocrisy, as their latest U-turn shows. For on Thursday afternoon the Yousaf regime…

Nicola Sturgeon’s husband charged in SNP police probe

19 April 2024 3:18 am

Peter Murrell, former chief executive of the SNP, has tonight been charged with embezzling money from his party. Murrell, the…

Prince Harry ditches UK as primary residence

18 April 2024 10:32 pm

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Queen of Privacy never manage to keep out of the news for too…

Watch: Sunak ridicules Starmer over Rayner

17 April 2024 10:53 pm

The curious case of Angela Rayner’s tax affairs continues to drag on and Rishi Sunak isn’t prepared to let Sir…

Truss bestseller sold out on Amazon

17 April 2024 8:43 pm

She’s produced a bestseller! Liz Truss’s new book has been out for less than 72 hours and it’s already sold…

Police probe Rayner over multiple allegations

17 April 2024 6:23 pm

Another day, another development in the curious case of Angela Rayner’s tax affairs. Mr S last week reported that Rayner…

Truss turns on foes at book bash

17 April 2024 7:05 am

After the longest promotional tour in history, Liz Truss finally held her belated book launch party. Less than an hour…

Watch: Truss on Sunak’s smoking ban

17 April 2024 1:50 am

It’s going to be a long day for Rishi Sunak. It’s the second reading of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill…

Khan changes his tune on fact-checking

17 April 2024 1:05 am

There’s 16 days to go until the London elections and Labour is comfortably in the lead. But is Sadiq Khan…

Brussels police move to shut down Farage at NatCon

16 April 2024 10:06 pm

Happy NatCon day, one and all. Yes, it’s that time of year again, when some of Europe’s most vocal right-wing…

Sunak’s popularity among Tory members hits new low

16 April 2024 3:04 am

Uh oh. The Prime Minister hasn’t been back from Easter recess for one full day yet and he’s already facing…

Exclusive: Liz Truss interview – ‘The world was safer when Trump was in charge’

15 April 2024 11:10 pm

Eighteen months have passed since Liz Truss left Downing Street and after an initial period of silence, she has been…

Watch: David Cameron says Iran has suffered ‘double defeat’

15 April 2024 7:18 pm

The question of how Israel will respond to Iran’s attack dominated David Cameron’s first broadcast round since he became Foreign…

Watch: Pro-indy filmmaker’s bizarre currency claim

14 April 2024 1:48 am

Another day, another nationalist gaffe. This time it’s pro-indy filmmaker and columnist — for that august journal the National —…

Diane Abbott’s private school hypocrisy

13 April 2024 10:19 pm

Oh dear. It seems that the sage of Hackney has blundered once more. Having lost the Labour whip last year…

Scottish government spent £400,000 on promoting new hate crime law

12 April 2024 9:02 pm

Back to Scotland and Humza Yousaf’s controversial new hate law. The First Minister’s Hate Crime Act has left an already…

Police launch investigation into Rayner housing claims

12 April 2024 8:45 pm

Well, well, well. Less than 24 hours after Keir Starmer tried to brush off questions about Angela Rayner, it turns…

Watch: Tetchy Starmer wriggles over Rayner’s tax affairs

12 April 2024 2:37 am

Angela Rayner appears unable to shake off questions about her tax affairs — literally. And now in an interview with…

Reform apologises for not realising candidate had died

11 April 2024 11:15 pm

Uh oh. Reform UK has not had an easy ride with its general election candidates, to put it mildly. Richard…

JK Rowling won’t forgive Harry Potter actors for trans stance

11 April 2024 9:30 pm

All is not well in the Harry Potter universe. Author of the hit wizarding novels and prominent women’s rights campaigner…