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.

Three arrested at Letby hospital in manslaughter probe

1 July 2025 9:31 pm

To the Countess of Chester Hospital, where three hospital managers have been arrested as part of a corporate manslaughter probe…

Ex-Tory minister suspended over ‘cash for questions’ row

1 July 2025 9:22 pm

Dear oh dear. Mr S reported on Saturday that former Conservative science minister George Freeman was under scrutiny over Sunday…

BBC chief left IDF death chants on livestream

1 July 2025 9:03 pm

Well, well, well. The chants of Bob Vylan frontman at Glastonbury – ‘death, death to the IDF’ – sparked outrage…

Watch: Pro-Palestine mob in Leicester chant ‘death to the IDF’

1 July 2025 3:51 am

Pro-Palestine demonstrators on the streets of Britain have been led in a chant of ‘Death, death to the IDF’ –…

Poll: half of voters unaware of ‘Boriswave’

30 June 2025 11:59 pm

What likelihood of a Boris Johnson comeback? Well, according to the man himself, there is, apparently, ‘more chance of a…

Labour contenders jockey for position

30 June 2025 3:50 pm

They say you should never waste a good crisis. And that certainly seems to be the mantra of certain senior…

Exclusive: Met won’t prosecute Kneecap over ‘Kill your MP’

29 June 2025 9:54 pm

How low is too low? Kneecap seem determined to find out, judging by their never-ending mission to troll the UK.…

Watch: Glastonbury crowd chant ‘death to the IDF’

29 June 2025 6:42 am

Is this year’s Glastonbury line-up the worst ever? There’s Kneecap, of course: those tough-talking IRA cheerleaders who simply LOVE revelling…

Starmer changes his tune on peerage rules

29 June 2025 3:14 am

Sir Keir Starmer seems to be changing his mind a lot these days. Whether it is welfare cuts or the…

Tory MP in new ‘cash for questions’ row

29 June 2025 1:42 am

Just how many of the 121 Tory MPs elected last summer will be there by the end of this parliament?…

Lord Falconer’s selective constitutional memory

29 June 2025 1:04 am

Good old Charlie Falconer. For more than 15 years now, the noble Lord has been trying, desperately, to ram assisted…

Tories fume at council by-election results

28 June 2025 8:23 am

It seems that all is not well with the once-mighty Tory ground game. After a thumping set of election defeats…

Four lowlights from Starmer’s Observer interview

27 June 2025 9:54 pm

Next Friday marks a year since Labour came to power. To celebrate the occasion, Sir Keir Starmer has done a…

Half of Labour members want Reeves sacked

27 June 2025 7:18 pm

It never rains but it pours. Rachel Reeves really isn’t having a good time at the Treasury. First, there was…

Watch: Tory MP attacks Kemi in parliament

27 June 2025 12:35 am

Oh dear. While Labour rips itself apart on welfare, it seems that one Tory MP is determined to get the…

Wonks team up to ‘Fix Britain’

26 June 2025 6:15 am

It is a year ago next week that Labour won the general election. ‘The adults are back in the room!’…

Former Scottish Tory MP jumps ship to Reform

25 June 2025 10:26 pm

Oh dear. It’s not been a good year for the Scottish Conservatives, who have seen multiple councillors defect to Reform…

Jenrick: Lib Dems aren’t welcome in the Tory party

25 June 2025 10:11 pm

Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick has insisted that the Conservatives must not beat around the bush about what they stand…

Watch: Trump’s expletive-laden warning to Israel

24 June 2025 10:37 pm

US President Donald Trump is taking no prisoners today. Just hours after Trump announced a ceasefire had come into place…

NHS trust embroiled in trans row releases ‘divisive’ Pride calendar

24 June 2025 10:17 pm

While Britain’s NHS remains on its knees, with A&E waiting times still unacceptably long and bed-blocked preventing sick patients from…

Parliament (finally) bows to Supreme Court gender ruling

24 June 2025 9:48 pm

Well, well, well. At long last, the Westminster parliament has issued an update on where it stands over the Supreme…

Home Office probes Palestine Action over suspected Iran link

24 June 2025 9:01 pm

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced on Monday afternoon that the UK government had decided to proscribe activist group Palestine Action…

Kim Leadbeater’s office blunders again

24 June 2025 12:13 am

Oh dear. It seems that the office of the Hon. Member for Spen Valley has put their foot in it…

Home Secretary will proscribe Palestine Action

23 June 2025 11:18 pm

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced in the Commons this afternoon that the UK government will proscribe Palestine Action. The…

Watch: JK Rowling’s favourite BBC presenter

23 June 2025 10:29 pm

To the Beeb, which is once again making the news rather than breaking it. BBC presenter Martine Croxall caught the…