Labour's schools tax raid sums don't add up Monday, 16 June, 2025 The following letter was published in The Daily Telegraph on 16 June in slightly edited form. SIR – At the spending review, Rachel Reeves boasted proudly that she had ended “the tax loophole which exempted private schools from VAT”, a grossly misleading description of the tax exemption that those independent schools which are charities had always enjoyed. She and her party believe they can squeeze... Articles
Neville Chamberlain: the reality 15th June 2022 In an address to the Friends of the National Archives at Kew on 14 June, Alistair Lexden returned to one of his abiding convictions: that Neville Chamberlain is... Articles
How Tory leaders should be chosen 13th June 2022 In a letter to The Times on 7 June ( see below), Alistair Lexden called for reform of the existing rules. In a further letter, published in The Daily Telegraph... Articles
Sir Graham Brady must revise the rules 7th June 2022 On 6 June Boris Johnson won a vote confidence in his leadership by 211 to 148. Four in ten of his MPs opposed him. He may, or may not, be able to shore up his... Articles
The centenary of an MP's brutal murder 6th June 2022 On 22 June 1922, Sir Henry Wilson MP was gunned down outside his home in London. A new book describes the circumstances in detail. Alistair Lexden’s review of... Articles
Macmillan's disappointment 29th May 2022 Provosts of Eton, very grand chairmen of the school’s governing body, are appointed on the recommendation of the prime minister. Writing in The Spectator on 14... Articles
Independent schools and the Government 24th May 2022 The Schools Bill, one of the Government’s principal measures in the new Session of Parliament, had its Second Reading in the Lords on 23 May. Alistair Lexden... Recent NewsSpeeches
The first attempt to get elected Members into the Lords, a century ago 17th May 2022 Those calling for an elected second chamber may be surprised to learn that a century has passed since the first government proposals were mooted. Alistair... Articles
A Lord in No 10 again? Or the First Baroness? 10th May 2022 The following letter was published in The Daily Telegraph on 10 May. SIR - The last peer to be prime minister was the great Lord Salisbury, the fourth longest... Articles
Privy Counsellors' Ballot 10th May 2022 Last week, the press reported that members of the Privy Council—who are styled right honourable—will have to ballot for places at the ceremony, known as the... Recent News
