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.

Rees-Mogg’s No. 10 party jibe

7 December 2021 7:40 am

It’s a difficult time for liberty lovers in the cabinet. The country is £400 billion in debt, the risk of…

Six highlights from Mark Francois’s memoirs

7 December 2021 4:10 am

Certain dates will go down in the annals of Brexit: 23 June 2016, 12 December 2019 and 31 January 2021. To…

Durham students try to cancel Rod Liddle

7 December 2021 12:00 am

The University of Durham has boasted many distinguished students over the years: Sir Harold Evans, Justin Welby, Andrew Strauss and…

Kay Burley’s party hypocrisy

6 December 2021 11:05 pm

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – except if you’re working in Boris Johnson’s press office. Much has been…

Anti-cancel culture conference cancelled

2 December 2021 3:51 am

Oh no! What’s behind the cancellation of GETTR’s ‘Counter Conference’? The right wing festival – due to take place later this…

Exclusive: Zemmour will run for President

30 November 2021 9:49 am

It may be the worst kept secret in France but Eric Zemmour will tomorrow announce his candidacy for his country’s presidential…

The mystery of Downing Street’s cinema

28 November 2021 1:30 pm

As a former court room, the No. 9 Downing Street briefing hub has seen its fair share of drama –…

German euthanasia clinics refusing unvaccinated customers

27 November 2021 10:19 am

Irony has been declared many times in this pandemic but now, from Covid-riddled Germany comes the final proof: you can’t…

Theresa May’s risqué joke

25 November 2021 8:45 pm

Boris couldn’t make it but fortunately there was one Tory premier at last night’s Spectator parliamentarian awards. Former Prime Minister…

Fears over Mandarin shortage in Whitehall

24 November 2021 1:45 am

‘China Spy Blitz’ blared the Sun this morning: ‘UK spooks hiring Mandarin speakers in cyber war.’ Spy bosses, the paper…

Boris Johnson’s Peppa Pig disaster

23 November 2021 7:48 am

Oh dear. Boris Johnson’s much-trailed speech to the Confederation of British Industry has caused something of a social media storm…

Harry and Meghan finally fly commercial

22 November 2021 11:00 pm

It takes a lot to surprise Mr S these days but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have indeed managed…

Revealed: Azeem Rafiq in antisemitism storm

19 November 2021 8:45 am

Cricketer Azeem Rafiq shocked the political word on Tuesday with his revelations about the abuse he suffered while a young…

Exclusive: Sadiq Khan no-platforms Eric Zemmour

19 November 2021 4:04 am

As the race for the Elysée hots up, presidential candidates are busy courting voters and raising funds. And with Macron’s poll…

Blue on Blue: May savages Boris

17 November 2021 2:50 am

The faults in the Tory party were on show for all to see today, as MPs were forced to debate…

Truss fails her first big test

16 November 2021 10:40 pm

Can anything stop the irresistible rise of Liz Truss? The power-dressing insta lover reinvented herself at International Trade, becoming the…

Prince Harry declares war on disinformation

16 November 2021 8:15 am

Democracy is in crisis, faith in institutions is at an all-time low. The public’s trust in our leaders has collapsed;…

Macron and Barnier chase the nationalist vote

16 November 2021 2:54 am

For centrists of a certain age, few names are more likely to tug the heartstrings than Emmanuel Macron and Michel…

Boris COPs up his host city

15 November 2021 10:00 am

And so COP26 ended, not so much with a bang, but rather a whimper. Alok Sharma’s tears aside, there was…

Prince Harry: I predicted the Capitol coup

10 November 2021 9:45 pm

Prince Harry is a man of many talents. He’s an eco-obsessed ethical banker whose firm invests in the oil and gas industry.…

Passholder privilege: the MPs turned consultants

10 November 2021 5:00 am

Westminster is full of stories at present of politicians cashing in. But while much of the attention thus far has…

Top MoD mandarin: supporting BLM is ‘not political’

9 November 2021 12:07 am

Is it political to support Black Lives Matter? Not according to No. 10’s most senior security adviser. Stephen Lovegrove (he/him) was…

British MPs in the dark about Beijing’s threats

6 November 2021 10:05 am

Following the killing of Sir David Amess, there has been much discussion in recent weeks about the safety of elected representatives. But…

COP’s awkward reliance on coal

5 November 2021 9:40 am

It’s day four of COP26 and while the big names have already departed, the speeches carry on. This morning some…

Meghan and Harry pledge to save the world

3 November 2021 10:30 pm

In Glasgow the green games are well underway, with a roll call of world leaders reading from the COPacabana hymn sheet to a…