I heard a recording of William Hague on the telly this morning saying that he knew Ashcroft had changed the deal about his position re: domicile/residence (from "non-domicile" to "long-term resident")"some months ago". I'm sure I heard him recently saying that he had "only just" found out?

I suppose he'll now say that "some months ago" is the same thing as "only just"…

With this coming on top of all the U-Turns lately, Is the election slipping away from callmeDave?

The real point of that it is Hague who pressed for the peerage for Ashcroft and was involved in the assurances about his status and told the world Ashcroft would be UK resident and taxpayer – and now Hague has admitted that he did not know of the " negotiated deal" to alter this status until a few months ago – when this happened 10 years ago.

So Ashcroft mislead Hague as Hague has now admitted.

Its clear that CallmeDave is loosing the election – with his lack of concrete policies, his constant U turning and the way he is beholden to unsavoury individuals. His poll lead is evaporating without anything coming from Labour

Lets just hope this doesn't lead to Hague being forced out. IMHO (and I'm no tory), he is one of the better and brighter members of the front bench. If they do get in, it'll be less bad if he is in the cabinet.

i must admit i was a bit surprised at hague being either hoodwinked, in which case hes not as bright as i thought, or being complicit in the hoodwinkery in which case hes less honest than i thought, either way a he seems to be tarnished by it all which is a shame as he does seem like a decent fellah, for a tory

tho i suppose if ashcrofts $$ have done the job in the marginal seats and the torys get in without a hung parliament it wont really matter

"Its clear that CallmeDave is losing the election"

absoulutely brilliant. I hope so.

Not lost it yet but what was looking like a large majority no longer is at all. Possibly not even the largest party but the polls will change again. This appears to have lost him further ground and is not over yet

Where is mefty and the rest of the toryboys to deny that Hague was hoodwinked?

I dont think Hague should get the blame for Ashcrofts deceit not his fault the man mislead him and the rest of us is it. I think he was honest but incorrect.

No idea if Dave will win but I think they have an interseting dilemma of supporting Ashcroft or distancing themsloeves – rock and a hard place really will be attacked whichever they do. I think dave will do nothing as he does not seem strong on ideas IMHO. Presentable and media friendly but not really a policy/principle man [Blair for example?]

As for Ashcroft deceitful and wont be doing the party any good. Interesting to note the report will be out re his compant beofre the election should be interesting. Certainly has added fuel to tfire of the same old tories and them being the party of the rich etc.

Hague is not really to blame except for his lack of judgement in trying to get a peerage for ashcroft. ashcroft has also mislead many others including Cameron ( unless he is a liar)

I do hope the report on the shell company is out before the election the odds on the tories having to pay back the money are high

Still getting my vote as there isn't an alternative.

Is this the same Hague that used to drink 14 pints in a session?

one of the better and brighter members of the front bench

What happened when Paxman asked Hague the "Ashcroft question"

16 pints get your fact right. What do you think you are? A politician?

well his donations were legal…….
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8549243.stm

… if immoral.

Interesting and suprising that Kimbers

i suspect if the commission delved too deeply into the financing of any of the parties then the entire house (of cards) may come tumbling down

😉

Like it CFH – for sure there is dodgy dealings all around.

Yep, and that's why I suspect that the comment above by Kimbers may have a lot to do with what has happened here!

16 pints get your fact right. What do you think you are? A politician?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/871543.stm

That's 2 pints you owe me 😀

Let's say I am a Columbian Drug Dealer with an interest in the election of a particular party. I set up a UK company and buy your local corner shop for a few thousand. So I have a UK registered company carrying on a UK business. I now subscribe for further shares in my company for £100 million, I then give that money to the political party. That's legal and permissible political donation according to the law.

Not the Electoral Commission trying to not upset the apple cart, but a completely valueless piece of legislation.

Interesting and suprising

No its not TJ.

Im sure what you meant to say that it was "scandalous that the bankroller of the party that I personally dislike managed to abide by the rules without tripping up and giving the left an historic victory in our hour of need. He should be strung up anyway coz 'is eyes are too close together, I dont trust people with more money than UNISON and he probably votes Tory".

At least it's safe to say that SFB's shorts are not under any threat from me, although I assure you it was never a real risk given the facts in the real world outside of the imaginations of the left and their associated fits of pique.

scandalous that the bankroller of the party that I personally dislike managed to abide by the rules without tripping up and giving the left an historic victory in our hour of need

… yet

Actually I'm glad he's still there. He's a sleazeball and this whole episode will continue to rumble on towards the election. The longer he stays around the more damage he will do to the Tories chances.

Boo hoo.

….yet?

There's nothing left to throw at him. The left have failed to land a fatal blow and they're mighty pissed about it.

Any drama about misinterpretation of his tax status will blow over, but his funding of the Tory party will continue all the way through the election campaign and be far more valuable to them than perceived whiff of scandal dragging along behind.

Labour have blown it with their attempt on Ashcroft – the only things that they could possibly use to separate him from their own non-dom donors in the Lords is his letter of commitment with its interpretation and his company donations. The Electoral commission have put paid to problems with the latter (as mefty has illustrated it was never going to be an issue given the flimsy law applicable to BOTH parties donors) and The Lords honours committee have said they cant look at the former issue retrospectively. So it's a busted flush. Labour can now go off and lick their wounds and dream of a donor daft enough to back them and bail them out of electoral bankruptcy.

and did the government agree to the shady deal to they could leak it later to torpedo the Tories ?

Stoner – what rubbish – there is still more to come. You show your stupidity and petty predjudices all teh time – especially when you invent things I say.

today we found out Ashcroft mislead Hague. Thats a real biggie and more to come yet

There's nothing left to throw at him.

His eyes are too close together.

>Thats a real biggie and more to come yet

Go on TJ, post it up here and let us in on the secret 🙂

and did the government agree to the shady deal to they could leak it later to torpedo the Tories ?

I doubt it. That would require planning.

i dont think this is a busted flush stoner

its just another point to labour in the eyes of the voters for several days now we've had headlines that basically say tory=sleaze
people skim the article see tory donor, lies £5m, hague cover up etc teh torries loose a few voters
but dont worry next week when labour loose a hard drive with oaps pension details or brown turns out to have owned a civil servant with some bombers or osbornes GCSE report shows he got an F at maths or whatever the next bit of muck to be slung is.

and so it goes on until may 10th

So we now know that Ascroft misled hague – the leader tat the time of his enoblement.

The next thing will be Cameron will have to fess up to either conspiracy or cock up – as Hague has had to.

The key thing is the deceit that goes right to the heart of the party

Which Tory MP was it that excluded F1 from the tobacco advertising ban then accepted a £1,000,000 bribe from Bernie Ecclestone again?

and so it goes on until may 10th

yep.

The whole thing would be laughable if it wasn't so serious. The only reason any of this stuff is important is because both the main parties are so useless, and I suspect that the party we will end up with making decisions that hugely effect our lives will be the one who didn't screw up last.

It's a bit like pass the parcel, where you know that inside the final layer of wrapping paper is a turd.

Stonor how can you possibly say that of the person who said this

He has broken the law I am sure. If it is proven as I am sure it will be that the donations were channelled thru a shell company then the donations are illegal

and this

…and is still blocking the investigation into his holding company.
there will be more lies to come out yet but the tories are hoping it will be delayed until after the election.
We have a liar bankrolling a liar here and the blind do not see it.

oh, and this

Just wait until the investigation into the donation route is finished. Thats a really murky pool that the tories are desperately hoping they can filibuster until after the election.

and of course thought this high quality journalism in the Guardian was worthy of quote

This is why Bearwood is being investigated. A preliminary investigation showed a case to answer and the full investigation is ongoing. Ashcroft and the tory party are doing their best to block the investigation but on the surface this is clear illegality.

How could you possibly say that, wash your mouth out with soap.

Which Tory MP was it that sold passports to the arms dealer Hinduja again?

The key thing is the deceit that goes right to the heart of the party

TJ – you're naive to think the electorate believe that it applies only to the tories even if it is even remotely true at all.

Anyway, I bet that given the chance, a majority of the electorate would back swindlers over incompetents any day. Im guessing come May 6th that'll be the choice they have and my theory proven 😉

You show your stupidity and petty predjudices all teh time – especially when you invent things I say.

now, now TJ. Where's my invention about what you say then?
You do so like to throw around accusations with no solid proof dont you?

I wont even rise to your immature jibe about stupidity.

today we found out Ashcroft mislead Hague. Thats a real biggie and more to come yet

Its not a real biggie now is it. In your little world of Right is wrong and Left is right you see Machiavellian deception and evilness in everything. How many times over the next few months will you keep on crying wolf then TJ?

And more to come eh? well surprise me with some evidence based fact for a change on that one would you, because your reliance on hearsay, misinterpretation and the bubble of your own self-righteousness isnt really putting the wind up anybody in the debating stakes.

Stoner – you denial of fact is ludicrous. Look at the Hagues statements. It shows clear deceit of the leader of the party by one of the funders.

Thats the issue – not the tax status nor the donations but the lies and deceit – and its clear from Hagues statements that he was deceived as were others.

Trust is one of the most important things for a politician and this has proven that the current crop of top tories are not trustworthy.

mefty – indeed.
Im surprised the Electoral Commission didnt call TJ up for some sober advice. They do get it so wrong so often dont they. 🙄

Trust is one of the most important things for a politician and this has proven that the current crop of politicians are not trustworthy.

fixed it for you.

TJ I havent denied any facts. Those that are in the public domain are accepted. What you continually do is refer to hearsay, commentary and presumptive interpretation in lieu of facts and expect people to swallow it. There are facts and there are morals. You insist on mixing the two up and it makes you look like a petulant 16 year old schoolgirl writing an essay about Anne of Cleves.