On February 13, The Times published a letter from Neville Chamberlain, to be sold shortly at auction, which expresses no rancour about his sudden removal as prime minister in 1940. Instead he looks forward to the next phase of his life, serving under Churchill. He writes: “I am sure I can be of more help to the country now where I am.” The following comments by Alistair Lexden were published in the paper on February 17.
Sir, The letter written by Neville Chamberlain shortly after his resignation as prime minister in May 1940 (“Chamberlain felt better out of No 10”, news, Feb 13) displays a lack of recrimination and disappointment that is rare in politics. Despite the onset of the cancer that was to kill him six months later, he took on a huge burden of work, freeing Churchill to run the war. His private secretary noted “his incredible capacity for work and his apparent immunity from fatigue continue.” Churchill was distraught when he died. “What shall I do without poor Neville?” he said. “I was relying on him to look after the home front for me.”
If Chamberlain had remained in harness with Churchill throughout the Second World War, posterity would today give him the honour that he deserves.
Lord Lexden
Conservative Party historian and author, Neville Chamberlain: Redressing the Balance
