The fascists' press baron Friday, 22 November, 2024 The following letter was published in The New Statesman on 22 November. Lord Northcliiffe was the greatest press baron of his time, but cannot be censured for supporting fascism. It got substantial press backing from elsewhere. Alison Phillips (The Critics, 8 November) states that “Northcliffe supported Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts and the Nazis”. That would have been difficult since Northcliffe... Articles
Johnson's turmoil - a historian's view 18th January 2022 Speaking on the BBC’s Broadcasting House programme on 16 January, Alistair Lexden wondered if Boris Johnson would be tempted to try to get out of his... Articles
A Lady of discernment 13th January 2022 Alistair Lexden contributed a few comments to supplement the obituary of the Dowager Lady Farnham, published in The Times on January 4. Lady Farnham served the... Articles
Belated redress for gay people - why should Northern Ireland miss out? 11th January 2022 On 10 January, the Lords agreed without a division to a very significant expansion of the scheme, first introduced in 2012 (and improved in 2016), under which... Speeches
The Prime Minister who turned down the highest order of chivalry 7th January 2022 The announcement of Tony Blair’s appointment by the Queen as a Knight of the Garter in the New Year’s honours list was praised by some, but strongly criticised... Articles
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more gay people 4th January 2022 On 3 January, the Government announced that pardons will be made available for “any repealed or abolished civilian or military offence that was imposed on...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
