Righting past wrongs for more gay people 4th January 2022 On 3 January, the Government announced that pardons will be made available for “any repealed or abolished civilian or military offence that was imposed on... Recent News
Attlee's place in history 30th December 2021 It is customary to regard Clement Attlee as one of the most important prime ministers in British history. Letters published in The Times on December 27 noted... Articles
A Tory Christmas crisis 21st December 2021 Following his Spectator letter (see below) on strains within the Liberal Party at Christmas 1885, Alistair Lexden wrote to The Daily Telegraph about Christmas... Articles
How leading Liberals spent Christmas in 1885 18th December 2021 The following letter was published under the heading 'Gladstone tidings' in the Christmas issue of The Spectator, dated 18 December. Sir: Boris Johnson's... Articles
A massive Tory rebellion in the Commons 17th December 2021 On December 14, 100 Conservative MPs voted against Boris Johnson’s latest measures to combat Coronavirus. The rebels included all the officers of the backbench... Articles
A fine candidate at a notable by-election 15th December 2021 The recent death of Sir John Butterfill, MP for Bournemouth West from 1983 to 2010, led Alistair Lexden to recall the MP's first electoral foray in 1981... Recent News
Northern Ireland - the search for greater stability and a stronger Union 14th December 2021 Between 2017 and 2020 devolved government in Northern Ireland was in abeyance. The system has to be run by a coalition in which diametrically opposed parties... Speeches
Thatcher's man in the Lords 9th December 2021 The second Baron Denham, known universally as Bertie, served in the governments of five Conservative Prime Ministers over a period of thirty years, but it was... Articles
On this day, 6 December, a century ago: the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty 6th December 2021 “Lock it up carefully”, Lloyd George said to his mistress and secretary, Frances Stevenson, in her room at No 10, as he handed her the British copy of the... Recent News