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.

Michel Barnier’s Brexity manifesto

9 September 2021 11:20 pm

It seems Michel Barnier has undergone something of a transformation in recent months. Gone is the starry-eyed Eurocrat who decried…

Terf war reignites at Guardian HQ

9 September 2021 8:14 pm

Few issues divide the Guardian’s right-on journalists more than transgender rights. Back in November its longtime columnist Suzanne Moore was purged after…

Sturgeon pushes for independence (again)

8 September 2021 5:20 pm

It’s Groundhog Day in Holyrood. Amid criticisms about her administration’s underwhelming ‘Programme for Government,’ Nicola Sturgeon has returned to her…

Five more lowlights from Australia’s Covid fight

8 September 2021 8:51 am

It was less than a fortnight ago that Steerpike wrote of Australia’s various missteps in its long fight with Covid.…

Another Tory tech blunder

7 September 2021 2:23 am

Oh dear. Longtime readers will recall that it was just three years ago that the Conservative conference app was revealed…

Now even Sir Alan Duncan turns on Stonewall

6 September 2021 4:35 pm

Covid has meant it’s been a tough old year for the charity sector – but few have had it worse…

Six times Remainers denied an EU army would happen

5 September 2021 6:47 am

One of the points of discussion which dominated British politics in the Brexit era was the possibility of the formation…

When will Twitter treat Biden like Trump?

2 September 2021 4:12 pm

With the conclusion of the disastrously-executed Afghanistan withdrawal, the attention of Joe Biden and his loyal media apparatchiks has turned to…

Fact check: how much US kit have the Taliban got?

2 September 2021 8:05 am

With the war in Afghanistan having officially ended on Monday, the world’s thoughts have turned to how the Taliban will…

Is troubled Trudeau the new Theresa May?

1 September 2021 8:30 am

Oh dear. For years Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been at pains to prove his feminist credentials. Whether it’s correcting a…

Covid collapse fails to revive MPs’ bars

31 August 2021 5:15 pm

The bars at Parliament have played host to many scenes over the years – plots, arguments, merriment and even fisticuffs –…

Expelled leftists mull new party

30 August 2021 12:12 pm

The not-so-great and good of the onetime Labour left were out in force last night, as members of Labour Against the…

UK-New Zealand trade deal likely within weeks

28 August 2021 1:00 am

September is shaping up to be a big month for Liz Truss and the Department for International Trade. While the minister…

Prince Harry’s eco-warrior credentials take another hit

22 August 2021 9:58 am

Life seems to be going well for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after they officially split from the royal…

China’s state broadcaster returns to British airwaves

21 August 2021 9:00 pm

It’s a hard tasking trying to sell China these days. What with the crackdown on Hong Kong, the subjugation of…

Which lobbyists run MPs’ interest groups?

20 August 2021 11:30 pm

David Cameron’s links to Greensill have brought the issue of lobbying back into the spotlight. Next month the Committee on…

Finally, the Sussexes speak out on Afghanistan

19 August 2021 7:43 am

If you’re an Afghan translator sheltering in a Kabul compound, life must seem pretty grim. The Taliban’s triumph has brought…

Labour lefties show their solidarity

17 August 2021 7:04 pm

Once the British left fought for civil rights, social justice and the brotherhood of man. But now such high principles…

Cameron snubs Osborne

17 August 2021 2:14 am

The papers have been full of speculation this month about rumours of a rift between Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson.…

Tony Blair takes back control

15 August 2021 9:36 am

Last month Steerpike reported news that Tony Blair was plotting a return to Parliament. One of the many unwanted consequences…

Winning here: the Lib Dems’ links with China

13 August 2021 9:28 pm

Earlier this week Mr S brought you news of the latest interminable row splitting the Lib Dems: what to do about Vince…

Cambridge XR academic brags after prosecution dropped

12 August 2021 6:55 pm

Since being formed in May 2018, the eco-warriors of Extinction Rebellion have done their best to endear themselves to commuters across…

The BBC’s woke guide to gender

11 August 2021 6:59 pm

Earlier this week, Mr S brought you the BBC’s internal guide to talking about climate change and how to win…

Revealed: the BBC guide for covering climate change

10 August 2021 7:48 am

Climate change is once again dominating the news agenda. A report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that even if…

Guy Verhofstadt claims Olympic gold for the EU

6 August 2021 7:00 am

Who is on top of the gold medal table at the Tokyo Olympics? China? The United States? According to former European…