The Times reports that Lord Ashcroft, who bankrolled the Tories in the late 1990's, and by strange and complete co-incidence and with no relationship to the vast sums he gave the Tories was later given a peerage, is to expand the Tories target seat strategy to include seats where the Tories are up to 5,000 votes behind.
This is not to say that this is any guarantee of success for the Tories. Ashcroft money was given to Eastleigh, Romsey and North Norfolk Tories with little success last time, but the policy had more success in Labour areas where some Labour MP's are not used to the all year round campaigning that Lib Dem MP's do as a matter of course.
It does, however, raise questions about how indebted the Tories are both in terms of his money keeping the wolves from the door when the Tories were up to their necks in debt in the late 1990's and early 2000's, but also it leaves you to ask how one man can have such influence of a political party and a potential government too.
9 comments:
I need hardly say what an exceedingly glass house you are living in on this subject....but I will leave that for the moment . On Lord Ashcroft he gives less to the Conservative Party than Sainsbury does to labour . His high profile is because the money is linked to a genuine political engagement which is why people should give , not , as in the case of Labour’s Private Equity friends for all too obvious reasons.
As you well know the Conservative Party are happy and willing for all donations to be limited to £50,000 and if they were Lord Ashcroft would still be an energetic Party campaigner.
There is , moreover , nothing wrong with ennoblement for a long period of support for a political Party motivated by a belief in its aims. There is something wrong with linking honours directly to amounts and because this distinction is subtle the general public remained far less interested in the whole cash for honours story than the press.
I do think this smearing of Lord Ashcroft is weak and your title deliberately draws a connection that does not exist.
Tsk tsk…
( Anyway the Liberal Party are already funded by tax payers , we pay teachers a full year for half a years work and the rest of the time they are free to take their caravans off to pester by-elections. :) )
No glass houses at all. The Tories constantly bring up the £2.4 million in Brown money, but he received no peerage.
I honestly do not believe that he made an altruistic donation and his peerage, awarded very shortly afterwards, was completely separate from that.
Are you sure Ashcroft gioves less than Sainsbury ? have you seen how much his holding companies give to individual constituencies.
As for our long holidays, perahps you'd prefer to come round to mine and do all my planning that i have to do in the holidays ?
Well when the liberals hand back the cheque from 5th Avenue Partners, I'm sure sure the pot won't be calling the kettle black then.
Planning in the holidays Nich? Are you totally insane? I have begrudged having to mark some A Level mock papers this Christmas holiday as normally this time is to recharge my batteries and spend with my family. School holidays are compensation for working ridiculously hard the rest of the time.
With the new literacy and numeracy framework in Primary schools now being rolled out, I have little choice.
Anonymous, please explain the relevance as you are comparing chalk with cheese.
Did the lib Dems recommend Micahel brown to get a peerage ?
Did the Tory recommend Ashcroft ?
These Tory comments are just what I need to recharge myself to go out in 08 & fight against what they stand for & for Liberalism.
No glass houses at all. The Tories constantly bring up the £2.4 million in Brown money, but he received no peerage.
That is not the point is it. The funding of the Liberal Party has been vastly more problematical than the funding of the Conservative Party and if you are going to indulge in insinuation I fear you are starting a game you will not win.In reality Ashcroft has clean bill of health and just as a hint it is his residency rather than his peerage you might with more justification complain about
I honestly do not believe that he made an altruistic donation and his peerage, awarded very shortly afterwards, was completely separate from that.
. Everything I say is my honest belief , when did you lie then? Then you would expect him to stop donating now ? I doubt anyone does very much at all for entirely altruistic motives and I am relaxed about that . The specific sale of a peerage is a rather different matter. Perhaps I did not make my point clear but you are missing it at all events and above all the Conservative Party are happy for a £50,000 limit which the Liberal Party are noticeably quiet about ….mmmm?Why ?
Are you sure Ashcroft gioves less than Sainsbury ?
Says Guidot. I have seen the figures in the Telegraph as well , I don`t think it is disputed although you would not like the sources but public knowledge and not complex
have you seen how much his holding companies give to individual constituencies.
Hardly a mystery. Of course including amounts given by companies and in any case in a given year Mittal`s donation dwarfs Ashton`s.You think that was for nothing . You think he cares about UK politics ?The Conservative Party are cleaner than anyone here and the resosn is that money from small business supports them. You might argue that this distorts democracy . I would counter that £8,000,000 employess of the state also does but for whatever reason the ConservativeP arty have no problems and therfore no secrets on funding and that includes the so called fron organsiations which "List " their members and have been passed
As for our long holidays, perahps you'd prefer to come round to mine and do all my planning that i have to do in the holidays ?
My brother is a teacher, I know many and I`m afraid you will have have to sell someone else that old line. You will make me giggle though . I was not aware to you were a teacher actually … so looks like I was more right than I thought. Quite funny.
I think it is pretty clear I am a teacher (top line of my profile - top right hand corner of mt blog).
Perhaps years of Tory education policies left youy unable to read properly.
Have a good 2008 ;-)
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