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
Misrepresenting Thatcher 16th May 2017 A new statue of Margaret Thatcher has been completed; it is due to be erected in Parliament Square. Alistair Lexden does not think much of it, as he made clear... Articles
Sutherland's portrait of Churchill 13th May 2017 In June 2016 (see previous article), Alistair Lexden published an article about Graham Sutherland’s acclaimed, but deeply controversial portrait of Winston... Recent News
Nazis and Royals 9th May 2017 The issue of access to the royal archives has become a subject of growing concern among historians and journalists in recent months. Alistair Lexden, who has... Articles
Speaking to the whole UK 5th May 2017 That was the theme of the leading article on the Conservative party in The Spectator on 29 April. There are clear signs that the party is making significant... Articles
Cromwell - King in all but name 28th April 2017 After the end of the Civil War, Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Ireland and Scotland on 16 December 1653. He was in effect... Articles
Corbyn's extra Bank Holidays mocked in 250th Telegraph letter 28th April 2017 On April 28 Alistair Lexden had his 250th letter published in The Daily Telegraph. Passing this milestone keeps him comfortably ahead of all others who have... Articles
Uncertainty in Northern Ireland 27th April 2017 Northern Ireland was the subject of Alistair Lexden’s final speech in the 2015-17 Parliament. The Province’s devolved government collapsed in January; prolonged... Speeches
From the Punjab to the Carlton Club 24th April 2017 The Punjab was ruled in the early nineteenth century by a great Sikh warrior, Ranjit Singh. His extraordinary story is told in a new book, Emperor of the Five... Articles
An unpromising precedent 19th April 2017 The unexpected announcement of an election, made by the Prime Minister on 18 April, led Alistair Lexden to look back at the last occasion on which Britain went... Articles
