Anne Henderson's lively new book on the rivalry of two bright boys, each from relatively humble backgrounds, cannot have been easy to write, with relevant episodes compressed or deleted in order to keep the story within bounds. The vigour of the writing, however, and emphasis on events which today still have significance more than compensate

The English and Their History by Robert Tombs Penguin, 2015, […]

The key principle of democracy is at stake. Are the voters really supreme on the one day that is important for them — the day of the election? Or are they to be extinguished by the post-election bartering, in which the PM is the main dealer?