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
Edward Colston - the man whom the statue commemorated 11th June 2020 A dangerous and malign campaign against the statues of many great figures who served their cities or their country with distinction in the past has developed... Articles
Lord Naseby - Sri Lanka's Friend at Westminster 4th June 2020 Throughout a long Parliamentary career, Michael Morris, now Lord Naseby, has been Sri Lanka’s constant champion. His remarkable association with the country is... Articles
How Boris Johnson could follow in Stanley Baldwin's footsteps 1st June 2020 The following letter, suggesting that a generous gesture by Baldwin might be emulated today, was published in The Daily Telegraph on 1 June. SIR - Should the... Articles
Dizzy and Boris 31st May 2020 Boris Johnson encourages comparisons between himself and Churchill, about whom he has written a not very good book; professional historians delighted in... Articles
Tragic Princess who would have been Queen 29th May 2020 Throughout her short life, Princess Charlotte (1796-1817) was in the direct line of succession to the throne. She was the only child of the Prince of Wales... Articles
Wider access to independent schools - lessons from history 22nd May 2020 In the aftermath of today’s crisis, there may well be a disposition to re-examine the place of independent schools in British society. Any such re-examination... Articles
A peculiar parson 21st May 2020 The Rev. David Johnson (1953-2020) was a flamboyant High Church Anglican priest, misogynist and wit (often mocking his own Bishops) who took to the bottle. In... Articles
Intolerable rudeness about Dizzy 21st May 2020 In the April issue of a new magazine The Critic, Simon Heffer, a well-known journalist who also writes history books, published an extraordinary, almost... Articles
Urgent work on Europe 21st May 2020 The Lords Committees which scrutinise European policies in detail have been reconstituted this month. This has been done to enable the Lords to concentrate on... Recent News