The rebirth of Sutherland's portrait of Churchill Tuesday, 23 April, 2024 In a letter to The Daily Telegraph published on 23 April, Alistair Lexden drew attention to the existence of a copy of Graham Sutherland’s remarkable portrait, painted for Churchill’s 80th birthday in 1954, which his wife later arranged to have destroyed. SIR -- Graham Sutherland’s preliminary work for his controversial portrait of Churchill possesses all the qualities which made this great artist... Articles
Devolution and Whitehall 21st November 2017 Very sketchy and inadequate arrangements have been made to keep the three devolved governments in close touch with the UK government. Formal meetings are rare... Speeches
"Phantoms of hope" for devolution in Northern Ireland 15th November 2017 On 14 November, the Lords passed the Northern Ireland Budget Bill, an emergency measure to provide funds for public services in the Province. The Bill was made... Speeches
Online voting 8th November 2017 As a historian, Alistair Lexden devotes much time to thinking and writing about the past, but he does not neglect the future. He is a Patron of the Institute of... Articles
A new Lords Deputy Chairman 7th November 2017 On 6 November, Alistair Lexden was formally appointed as a Deputy Chairman of Committees in the Lords, becoming one of a group of some 20 drawn from all parties... Recent News
Oscar Wilde's prison books 3rd November 2017 A prominent Liberal politician came to Oscar Wilde’s aid after his conviction and imprisonment in 1895. An article in TLS: The Times Literary Supplement on... Articles
The Balfour Declaration 2nd November 2017 On 2 November 1917, Lord Balfour, then Foreign Secretary, signed a short 67-word letter to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the British-Jewish community, containing... Articles
250th letter in The Times - and a record 31st October 2017 Alistair Lexden’s letter in The Times on October 30 (see below) was his 250th in what is generally regarded as the most famous letters page in the world. The... Articles
Too many Privy Councillors 30th October 2017 There is widespread agreement that Britain has too many MPs and too many peers with seats in the Lords. The excessive number of Privy Councillors— people who... Articles
Seeking justice for IRA victims 30th October 2017 On October 27, the Lords gave a Second Reading to a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Lord (Reg) Empey, former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. The Bill... Speeches