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
Good Lord deliver us 16th July 2020 The following letter was published in The Daily Telegraph on July 16. SIR - Charles Moore (Comment, July 14) urges us to visit Battle Abbey in Sussex and savour... Articles
When newspapers sold in millions 13th July 2020 In a recent book review in The Spectator magazine, Alan Johnson, the former Labour cabinet minister, claimed that the first newspaper to sell a million copies... Recent News
Clive of India's statue 8th July 2020 Robert Clive (1725-74) rose from obscurity in Shropshire to acquire fame and fortune in India. He was a most gifted military commander. At the Battle of Plassey... Recent News
Our electoral system - proposals for reform 8th July 2020 On 8 July, an important cross-party Lords Select Committee, of which Alistair Lexden was a member, published a major report on the electoral system, following a... Recent News
Dizzy's wise words 24th June 2020 A letter in The Times on June 22 took issue with an article which claimed that the word “anecdotage” had been coined recently. In that letter, a misleading... Articles
Doubts about child sex abuse inquiry 23rd June 2020 After a faltering and embarrassing start—four chairmen in two years and the resignation of barristers assigned to it—the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual... Recent News
300th Telegraph letter 18th June 2020 Alistair Lexden’s letter on Ted Heath’s 1970 election triumph ( which you can read here) was the 300th that The Daily Telegraph has published from him. The... Recent News
Ted Heath's day of triumph 18th June 2020 Alistair Lexden followed up his article on the 50th anniversary of Heath’s election victory in 1970 ( which you can read here) with a letter to The Daily... Articles
On this day, 18 June, 50 years ago - Ted Heath's unexpected election victory 18th June 2020 The election result on this day fifty years ago took everyone completely by surprise, except the victor himself. In his memoirs published nearly thirty years... Articles