Why is Lord Ashcroft so important to David Cameron?

David

If you want to know the answer, just look at Labour. They are so scared of Ashcroft's operation, they tried to change the law specifically to combat him (which, I'm sure you will agree, is a tremendous abuse of power. Yes?). It's not the money, it's the use to which it is put. Ascroft runs an extremely effective marginal electoral campaign. Why would a political party wish to rid itself of that?

Hawkeye

I would suggest that the real importance of Ashcroft to the tories is the difference he is making in the marginal constituencies.

The £5m is something of a red herring. Ashcroft could probably find another way to donate it so it would just be a money merry-go-round.

You are spot on about one point. It is bad for any party (or company) to become totally dependent on one individual.

Ian C

David and Hawkeye have answered your question, but there is bound to be some little local difficulty if they have to hand back £5m.

Having said that your and the Guardian's point about the political classes is spot on. The reason is that our system does not encourage the best people to go into politics - as a public service. They are attracted, in the main by idealism and/or ambition. Not a sound basis from which to choose people to run the country as we have witnessed in Blair and Brown.

Jonathan

Do you actually have any facts to show that he is doing anything wrong? There have been plenty of large Labour donors Sainsbury, Ecclestone, Mittal, Hinduja's... who have had questionable dealings with the government.

As far as I can tell Ashcrofts main interest is that he is a Conservative and wants them to win at the next election. The benefit he brings (apart from the money) is a clear focus on how exactly to do this - good quality campaining in the marginals. If he wants to spend his time on this then its better than some of the donations Labour received which only seemed to result in dodgy rule changes...

Perhaps you could explain Martin why the Guardian and other sections of the left seem so obsessed with Ashcroft that they ignore all the sleaze within Labour?

Given Ashcrofts support of Crimestoppers may I suggest that he has done more for this country than you are ever likely to.

ps. If he has done something wrong though he should obviously be punished, however I dislike Labours obsession with the issue when they have their own problems.

Conlige suspectos semper habitos

Of course, Lord Ashcroft could just be content to make large donations to the Conservative Party because, like many far less wealthy people, he is p***ed off with Labour.

Guido Fawkes

Was Lord Sainsbury a bad thing for the Labour Party? I think he was a good thing, he spent money moving it to the centre.

Arguably if it wasn't for him New Labour would never have got control of the party machine and it would have reverted to being an unelectable left-wing rabble. Which is the trajectory it returning to once again.

TrevorsDen

Careful Bright - your just coming across as a typical Labour smearing stooge.

"can only really be explained" ... oh can it? Only in your dreams.

Ever heard of Mittal? And others? Indeed aver heard of a certain Ms. J. Smith?

She is done for bank to rights fattening herself in the public trough - so what do labour do? Try to smear someone else.

Wake up Mr Bright - your points in this board are becoming increasingly juvenile.

David

"I hope David Cameron uses the opportunity to show some genuine gumption and cut himself loose"

Oh yes, and as it happens, Cameron has committed to limiting single donations to £50,000. Labour have only done so up to the point that the Trades Unions are exempted.

Gumption?

David Ossitt

How a once great political party has allowed itself to become quite so dependent on one man, I will never know.

What ever do you mean; a once great party, it is still and will I hope be for many years the one party whose aims and ambitions best reflect the wishes and opinions of most of our people. The era of New Labour is over and history will not be kind to the awful shower that has poisoned us all these past twelve years.

RW

Some simple points, Mr Bright, shouldn't be too difficult for even you to take on board.

a) The Conservative Party does not "rely" on Mr Ashcroft. It has many other sources of funding.

b) Mr Ashcroft is a successful businessman with lots of money. He is in sympathy with the aims and objectives of the Conservative Party and wishes it to succeed electorally. So he deploys his financial resources accordingly. (Does this remind you of anyone on your side of the political divide? No, not Lord Sainsbury). The difference is that Mr Ashcroft has considerably greater organisational skill. He also works within the law, but that's another story.

C) Nagging feelings of insecurity about defeat seem for some mysterious reason to have transferred themselves to the party you support, on a grand scale. I wonder why this could be.

e) Electoral Commission ...donations made by Bearwood Corporate Services... deserve serious scrutiny - Bollocks. This "investigation" is going nowhere, as you and everyone else are well aware. And neither should it.

f) Pretty much everything I read at the moment makes me despair of people who style themselves as political commentators, freshly come from the fairytale world of the Left to preach financial and ideological rectitude to the evil Tories.

Have a nice day!

Fergus Pickering

Oh come along. Do you remember Paul Newman's answer to the question, 'Why do you rob banks?' Because banks are where the money is.

THX1138

What does Ashcroft want? And don't say a Tory government. What does he really want?

Belize kinda rhymes with sleaze

Fraser Nelson

THX1138 what do you think this ennobled billionaire wants? I'd say to hunt Labour MPs like foxes - then that's it.

David Ossitt

THX1138 Asks. What does Ashcroft want? And don't say a Tory government. What does he really want?

Is his 'nom de plume' 'THX' short hand for thick?

What Ashcroft really wants; is just the same, as the majority of the electorate.

He wants an end to this awful dishonest government and the return to an honest accountable Tory goverment.

Tory does rhyme with glory!

THX1138

Fraser sorry but that's BS. I don't buy it for a second he wants to use his money to own a political party and manipulate the state from within for his own financial advantage. I know it it all sounds a bit conspiracy theory I just have a bad feeling about the guy he's all wrong . This has Oleg Deripaska affair writ large. I promise you it will end in tears for the Tories.

David Ossitt just because you don't agree with me you don't have to call me thick. FYI I'm voting Tory at the GE for the fist time, I'm a friend I can just smell a wrong'en a mile off. My understanding is that W11 set tolerate him because of the cash but he's not liked (too nouveau) maybe Fraser can ask D'Ancona he's one of them he'd know.

David Ossitt

THX1138

I am sorry if I offended you.

I did not say that I did or did not agree with you.

You asked 'what does he realy want?' I simply said that it is self evident; what he wants is a Tory Government.

Well done on your intention to vote Tory, I have for nearly 50 years.

Jenny D

Lord Ashcroft is not an elected Member of Parliament, even though he seems to be controlling the conservatives with his vast sums of money. It's very Machiavellian to crave power and control to this extent, and that's surely not a good thing for any political party. It's not democratic. Great to donate the money, but not great to try and control elected representatives of a country.

When will people with money wake up and realise that it's people who get elected on their own merits, not because of their wealth. Cameron would do well to cut himself free of him!

THX1138

David Ossitt- Thanks, you're cool.