A special live event, as part of the Buckinghamshire History Festival, on the remarkable history of the Prime Minister's country residence.

For over a century, Chequers has served as the official country residence of Britain's Prime Ministers. Away from the glare of Westminster, it has been the setting for moments of high politics, private reflection, international diplomacy, and political drama. But what really happens behind its gates?

Join historians and Since Attlee & Churchill co-hosts Lee David Evans and Richard Johnson for a lively journey through the history of Britain's most famous political retreat. Drawing on their original research, they will reveal how successive Prime Ministers and members of the government have used Chequers, from moments of national crisis to weekends of playful relaxation.

This event is supported by the Queen Mary Centre for Public Engagement.

About the hosts

This event will be hosted by Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party, and Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party. Richard is a Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London and the author of multiple books including Keeping the Red Flag Flying: The Labour Party in Opposition since 1922 (2024). Lee is the John Ramsden Fellow at the Mile End Institute at Queen Mary and is the author of Coronations and Defenestrations: Choosing (and Losing) Tory Leaders (2026).

Description supplied by the event organiser.