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.

Lowe brands Farage a ‘viper’ after Reform charges dropped

14 May 2025 10:11 pm

While Nigel Farage’s Reform party has seen success in the local elections this month, their former MP Rupert Lowe has…

Will Reform oust Miliband?

14 May 2025 9:56 pm

To the green thorn in Sir Keir Starmer’s side: Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband. The lefty veteran may have spent…

Royal College of Psychiatrists voices opposition to assisted dying

14 May 2025 8:46 pm

Assisted dying has been a hot topic both north and south of the border this week, as Scottish politicians voted…

Will the Beeb sack Lineker over his pro-Palestine post?

14 May 2025 12:48 am

Will Gary Lineker ever learn? As if the BBC Sports pundit hadn’t caused enough controversy, now the left-wing centre forward…

Tory MP charged with sexual assault

14 May 2025 12:35 am

It is less than a fortnight since the Runcorn by-election, caused by the resignation of Mike Amesbury for punching a…

Brits now most concerned about borders since Brexit

13 May 2025 10:28 pm

On Monday Prime Minister Keir Starmer made his big immigration speech in which he warned that without tightening rules the…

Man arrested after fires at Starmer’s home

13 May 2025 5:41 pm

After it emerged on Monday afternoon that the Metropolitan Police were probing a fire that had broken out at Sir…

Police probe fire at Prime Minister’s home

13 May 2025 2:43 am

To north London, where the Metropolitan Police are investigating a fire that broke out at Sir Keir Starmer’s personal home…

Scottish Labour leader turns on assisted dying bill

12 May 2025 10:41 pm

To Holyrood, where parliamentarians will tomorrow vote on Scotland’s assisted dying bill. Scottish Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur has put forward…

The Spectator: the magazine police don’t want you to read

12 May 2025 9:43 pm

Retired special constable Julian Foulkes is one of the latest targets of police officers who seem more eager to crack…

Watch: grooming gang victim criticises Lucy Powell

12 May 2025 2:55 am

The row over Lucy Powell’s outrageous comments are not going away anytime soon. It was on Any Questions last week…

Reform take over its first Conservative club

10 May 2025 10:27 pm

It seems that Reform are not content to just take the Tories’ seats. After coming for their MPs, councillors and…

Starmer could face biggest rebellion yet over benefits cuts

9 May 2025 10:15 pm

Sir Keir Starmer’s jubilation over sealing the UK-US trade deal with President Donald Trump may be short-lived as problems loom…

Greens to reject gender ruling in next leadership contest

9 May 2025 5:00 pm

To the Green party, whose membership will be called on to vote for their next leader this summer. Currently the…

Civil servants turn to AI ministers to test policy plans

9 May 2025 4:00 am

Well, well, well. It transpires that civil servants working across Whitehall are turning to artificial intelligence to figure out how…

No. 10 sends lobby journalists to Coventry

9 May 2025 1:25 am

Another day, another Downing Street blunder. Now it transpires that No. 10 sent a group of lobby journalists halfway across…

Will Jacob Rees-Mogg return to frontline politics?

8 May 2025 11:03 pm

On Wednesday evening an esteemed group of Spectator subscribers gathered in London for the latest Coffee House Shots live event,…

Carla Denyer quits as Green party co-leader

8 May 2025 10:23 pm

The eco-activists are back in the news this morning after Carla Denyer announced she will not stand again as co-leader…

Could Reform become the official opposition in Scotland?

8 May 2025 9:00 pm

To Scotland, where some rather curious polling has been published – suggesting that after next year’s Holyrood election, Reform UK…

Senior Tory MPs and peers call for recognition of Palestine

7 May 2025 11:21 pm

Well, well, well. The conflict in the Middle East has caused splits among the Labour lot and now it seems…

Watch: Haigh accuses No. 10 of briefing against women

7 May 2025 8:44 pm

All is not well in the Labour party. After a rather bruising set of local elections for Sir Keir Starmer,…

Watch: Reform MP gets sworn in

7 May 2025 1:04 am

It’s been a whirlwind few days for Sarah Pochin who has become Reform’s newest MP after winning the Runcorn and…

Watch: Sturgeon refuses to apologise to women over gender ruling

6 May 2025 10:28 pm

Well, well, well. Nicola Sturgeon has finally broken her silence over the Supreme Court judgment that backed the biological definition…

Reform councillor attacks Farage as she quits party

6 May 2025 9:42 pm

Reform UK enjoyed success in last week’s local elections, but it hasn’t all been plain sailing for Nigel Farage’s party.…

Labour minister: rape gangs are a ‘dog whistle’ 

4 May 2025 7:00 am

Uh oh. Commons Leader Lucy Powell has found herself in hot water after making some rather careless remarks on BBC…