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
The Tory Brexit crisis in historical perspective 16th July 2019 Has the Tory Party ever been in a worse plight than it is today? What were the periods of greatest difficulty that it faced in the past? These and other... Articles
Boarding benefits 8th July 2019 There was a time after the Second World War, now largely forgotten, when local councils made it possible for children in difficult and deprived circumstances to... Articles
Lives ruined by the police 4th July 2019 Much has been said and written about the immense damage that has been done by many police officers, who made public the names of individuals suspected of sex... Speeches
The truth about One Nation - yet again 3rd July 2019 Some historical errors are so firmly entrenched that it seems almost impossible to correct them. Neville Chamberlain continues to be regarded a weak man who was... Articles
Ratting and Re-ratting 26th June 2019 Some recent letters in The Spectator magazine have featured politicians who altered their positions—more than once. Alistair Lexden contributed to the... Articles
The triumph of William Pitt 24th June 2019 Pitt’s remarkable political success from the 1780s until his early death in 1806 is the most memorable feature of a new book about his bitter rivalry with... Articles
The duplicity of Conservative MPs 22nd June 2019 The parliamentary stage of the Tory leadership contest ended on 20 June amid widespread reports of dirty tricks and bullying by Boris Johnson's supporters... Articles
Are the talks in Northern Ireland making progress? 21st June 2019 Six weeks ago, a fresh round of talks—the latest of many—began in Northern Ireland on the restoration of the devolved government which collapsed two and a half... Speeches
Neville Chamberlain: A formidable politician 18th June 2019 On 17 June, a letter published in The Times stated that “the assessment that Mrs May is oddly lacking in political skills may be unusual but not unique in... Articles