Political

Main Man

The ‘pragmatic and principled’ Harold Wilson.

Law of the Land

What relevance do the Norman Conquest and the events of 1066 have to contemporary British politics? Everything and nothing.

Voting Before the Secret Ballot

Before the secret ballot, voting in Britain was a theatrical, violent and public affair. The Act that made democracy private turned 150 this year.

The Black Legend of the House of Dudley

Three generations of the cursed House of Dudley stained the executioner’s block in 16th-century England. Were its members murderous villains working to overthrow the monarchy, or shrewd political agents struggling to survive? 

Little White Lies

There is value in a leader who lies – but only if it is done for the greater good.

Babies of the House

The UK Parliament was not designed for women with children and this continues to present challenges for new parents. How far have things changed? 

The Strange Death of Liberal Egypt

For most Egyptians independence came with the revolution of July 1952, not with the end of the British protectorate in February 1922. Yet, as the experiences of three patriotic writers show, independence did not mean freedom.

What Chips did Next

A ringside seat to British domestic politics, from Chamberlain’s meeting with Hitler in October 1938 to the fall of Mussolini in July 1943.