How Queen Victoria hounded her Prime Ministers Wednesday, 17 April, 2024 She gave them no peace. A marvellous new book gives the details of her tempestuous relations with them. Alistair Lexden reviewed it in Parliament’s magazine The House on 15 April. Queen Victoria and Her Prime Ministers: A Personal History By Anne Somerset Published by William Collins Books Queen Victoria began her long reign as an ardent Whig and ended it a diehard Tory. Her Hanoverian... Articles
Give Conservative Party members a role in policy-making again 4th October 2022 That was the message of a letter published in The Times on 4 October as the Conservative Party met in Birmingham for a particularly difficult annual conference... Articles
The most scandalous diaries of the twentieth century 3rd October 2022 Chips Channon, a Conservative MP from 1935 to 1958, wrote brilliantly about his own political and social life, and about the lives of others in his upper-class... Articles
The downfall of Lloyd George a century ago 1st October 2022 On 19 October 1922, David Lloyd George’s powerful coalition government, which had dominated British politics for six years, suddenly collapsed. Its fate was... Articles
Wellington's "dictatorship" 29th September 2022 The following letter was published in The Daily Telegraph on 29 September. SIR - It is good to see reference to the great Duke of Wellington’s two terms as... Articles
The first monarch "wholly above politics" 10th September 2022 The following letter was published, along with others, in The Daily Telegraph on 10 September, under the heading “Tears of sadness for a Queen who brought joy... Articles
Queen and Constitution 9th September 2022 The following letter was published, along with others, in The Times on 9 September, under the heading “Remembering our gracious, noble Queen.” Sir, One image of... Articles
Boris Johnson at No 10: a Conservative historian's verdict 6th September 2022 The Guardian asked a small number of historians for their assessments of Boris Johnson’s time as prime minister. Their comments were incorporated in an article... Articles
A Prime Minister in "Siberia" 3rd September 2022 That is what Lord Salisbury called Balmoral. Alistair Lexden quoted the remark in a letter published in The Times on 3 September, in which he corrected a... Articles
A church without integrity: the letter they wouldn't publish 1st September 2022 Speaking in the Lords last September , Alistair Lexden condemned the Church of England for driving a priest, whom he knew well long ago, to suicide. Replying to... Articles