A great Prime Minister's early death Thursday, 11 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 in length only by Walpole. His health was never robust. It is well-known that he added to his problems by drinking heavily, and it is often said that drink killed him. Far from that being the case, the illness that proved fatal to him can... 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
Labour's education tax: sheer prejudice against independent schools 24th June 2024 The following letter was published in The Times on 22 June, continuing Alistair Lexden’s attacks on Labour’s iniquitous propsals for an education tax. Sir... Articles
Absent friends must vote 17th June 2024 In a statement on 10 June, David Cameron urged the five million British people living abroad to use the votes, which all of them now have for the first time... Recent News
Selecting election candidates at short notice 7th June 2024 Does the central organisation of the Conservative Party have too much power over the choice of candidates when a snap election is called? 190 constituencies... Articles
Labour's education tax: the truth is out 4th June 2024 Despite having done no serious calculations, Labour claim that their VAT levy on independent school fees would raise £1.6 billion for state schools. Experts on... ArticlesRecent News
Why is the election campaign so long? 29th May 2024 The question is already being asked, and is likely to be heard more frequently as this six-week campaign progresses. Fifty years ago in 1974 a general election... Recent News
Labour's Education Tax: a key election issue 23rd May 2024 On 23 May, Alistair Lexden had been due to open a debate in the Lords on independent schools. In that speech, he would have attacked Labour’s education tax, its... Speeches
The Czech crisis of 1938 22nd May 2024 Hitler was bent on war. That may be clear now, but in 1938 it was not obvious to Britain, despite Churchill’s warnings. An important new book charts the work of... Articles
The man Lord Randolph forgot 18th May 2024 The man in question was George Goschen. The memory lapse on the part of Lord Randolph Churchill, father of Sir Winston, was mentioned by Alistair Lexden in a... Articles