By Lord Ashcroft, KCMG. "Following my discovery earlier this year that British aid money had helped President Museveni of Uganda to buy himself a private jet, I decided to ask a further written question on the subject in the House of Lords. It seemed a simple matter… "To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a country […]
By Lord Ashcroft, KCMG. If there is one thing that unites Conservatives it is the desire to win the next general election outright. Certain things follow from this. The first is that we need more votes at the next election than we received at the last. This means attracting people who voted for a different […]
By Lord Ashcroft, KCMG. I am currently in Spain doing my bit to help catch ten of Britain’s most wanted criminals. And I am as confident as I can be that the latest appeal by Crimestoppers – codenamed Operation Captura – will follow the trend of past ones by achieving both positive and swift results. […]
By Lord Ashcroft, KCMG. What do Kylie Minogue, the singer/actress, and Jilly Cooper, the novelist, have in common? The answer is that both women this week received honorary degrees from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), of which I am Chancellor. Ms Minogue received her award in person on Wednesday evening for her work in promoting breast […]
By Lord Ashcroft, KCMG. Two events over the summer, the phone hacking scandal and the riots, looked as though they had the potential to change the political landscape. In fact, the polls have held remarkably steady, with no party’s average vote share in published polls moving by more than one percentage point since June – […]
By Lord Ashcroft, KCMG. When Crimestoppers was launched 23 years ago, it was founded on the basic principle that anyone passing on information about crime or criminals should be entitled to anonymity. Today that principle will be extended when Crimestoppers, the only charity in the UK that helps to solve crime, launches a new joint […]
By Lord Ashcroft, KCMG. Yesterday, Battle of Britain Day, I went to the Imperial War Museum (IWM) to undertake a particularly pleasant task: to thank those who have been responsible for putting six more prestigious gallantry medals on long-term loan at the Extraordinary Heroes exhibition. The IWM and I are enormously grateful to have received […]
By Lord Ashcroft, KCMG. John McAleese, who has died suddenly aged 61, was not just an SAS legend but he was one of the few men who got the better of an exchange with Margaret Thatcher when she was in her heyday as Prime Minister. McAleese, a no-nonsense Scot, encountered Mrs Thatcher (now Baroness Thatcher) […]
By Lord Ashcroft, KCMG. The death of Nancy Wake, the former Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent, has reminded me of what superb secret operatives women make – and why. Miss Wake, who died at the weekend aged 98, was one of the bravest and most determined underground fighters against the Germans in Occupied France during […]
By Lord Ashcroft, KCMG. There have been many high-points during my long association with Crimestoppers and today marks yet another one. The charity, which was formed 23 years ago, is launching a major campaign to track down its Ten Most Wanted Fraudsters in the UK. As the Founder and Chairman of the Trustees of Crimestoppers, […]
Lord Ashcroft, KCMG. Charles Walker, who received the George Cross (GC) for saving a man’s life by diving into a burning sea, has died aged 97. But what a long and varied life he enjoyed, and what a hero he was when the moment came for him to face his greatest test. My life-long interest […]
Lord Ashcroft, KCMG. Listening to Peter Clarke, the former Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, giving evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee this week, I was reminded once again of the activities of Ed Miliband’s Director of Communications, Tom Baldwin. The trigger for this reminder was when Mr Clarke said that he found […]
By Lord Ashcroft, KCMG. Two stories relating to Gordon Brown have been high on the news agenda over the past 24 hours: one relates to allegations that the medical records of his sick son had been illegally obtained, the other that details of his private financial affairs were “blagged”. I am neither a political ally […]
Lord Ashcroft, KCMG. Ed Miliband, the Labour Party leader, has said that Rebekah Brooks, the former News of the World editor, must “examine her conscience” and “consider her position” over claims that private detectives who were in the employ of the paper at that time they broke the law. Mr Miliband’s sentiment is one with […]
By Lord Ashcroft, KCMG. It was Gamaliel Bailey, the 19th century American journalist, who wrote: “Never respect men merely for their riches, but rather for their philanthropy; we do not value the sun for its height, but for its use.” I was reminded of Bailey’s perceptive quote from nearly 200 years ago when I learnt […]