No escape from 10 Downing Street Monday, 14 October, 2024 An article in The Times on 12 October detailed the dissatisfaction felt by many prime ministers with their official residence. Disraeli found it “dingy and decaying.” Lord Salisbury called it “cramped”. Only Margaret Thatcher sang its praises unreservedly. However, when an opportunity to move into more splendid premises arose, it was turned down. Alistair Lexden described how this happened in a... Articles
The fall of the first Labour Government a century ago 9th September 2024 By the autumn of 1924 the first Labour Government was in serious difficulties. Here Alistair Lexden describes how the problems led to an October election, which... Articles
Labour's attack on children in independent schools 6th September 2024 The Government intend to slap VAT on school fees on 1 January next year. The policy is wrong; its introduction during the course of an academic year is... Speeches
Gladstone and slavery 23rd August 2024 Ever since the dangerous left-wing movement, Black Lives Matter, started making wild allegations about various people in the past, William Gladstone has been... Articles
A Conservative history essay: Lord Liverpool - a seriously misjudged Prime Minister 5th August 2024 Lord Liverpool won few encomiums during an extraordinarily long political career which spanned the wars against revolutionary France and the deeply troubled era... Articles
In defence of a Conservative conservationist 30th July 2024 The following letter was published in The Spectator on 27 July. The Ionic pillars referred to in it were designed by the renowned architect, Sir John Soane... Articles
A brilliant forgotten photographer of the post-war years 23rd July 2024 Alistair Lexden usually reviews books on political history (and occasionally writes a short one of his own). Here he discusses a new book of remarkable... Articles
The new session of Parliament 22nd July 2024 As is customary, the Lords allocated several days to its debate on the Gracious Speech delivered by the King on 17 July. Alistair Lexden made his contribution... Recent NewsSpeeches
A great Prime Minister's early death 11th July 2024 Prime minister at the age of 24, the Younger Pitt died when he was 46 in 1806 after serving in the highest political office for eighteen years, a term exceeded... Articles
Tory Despair 10th July 2024 Geoffrey Wheatcroft, Tory author and journalist, mingles history with an account of the recent tribulations of the Tory Party in a new book, written in a tone... Articles
