Month in. Month out... The billionaire Ashcroft’s message is being delivered, by Royal Mail, to every household in Pendle. Above are a selection of Conservative Newsletters to July 2009. The August 2009, October 2009 and the December 2009 newsletters can be seen in the Gallery along with the rest of the Conservative ‘blizzard’ of material.
The Man with the Money
The Conservative donor and Belize based multi millionaire, Michael Ashcroft, was ennobled in 2000 after promising to bring his tax affairs on shore and to become a UK resident for tax purposes.
Ashcroft knows his money buys electoral success, see "The answers are out there".
No 10 raised no objection to his elevation to the peerage, recommended by William Hague, the then Leader of the Conservative Party, on the basis of that promise.
We still do not know whether he is a UK resident for tax purposes. He refuses to say.
See Paxman quizzing Hague on this Newsnight clip. It is riveting!
On 15 November 2007, at a meeting of the Public Administration Select Committee, I formally requested the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O’Donnell, to give details of the form of Ashcroft’s promise (letter, e mail, oral) and to whom it was given. You can see the exchange from Question 18.My request was refused by the Cabinet Secretary and, again, following an internal Cabinet Office appeal. I then referred the matter to the Information Commissioner who polices the Freedom of Information Act and, 19 months on, I am still waiting.
Click on link to see Gordon Prentice's incredible campaign to out Ashcroft and the Tories.
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