Martha Kearney's week

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By Martha Kearney Presenter, BBC Radio 4's World at One

William Hague and David Cameron both had questions to answer this week

This was a week in which the Conservative leadership hoped to reverse the trend of narrowing polls by an attack on Labour's economic record and a new focus on education policy.

Instead, coverage was dominated by the tax status of its controversial treasurer Lord Ashcroft who revealed on Monday that he is a "non-dom" who only pays tax on his UK income not on his overseas wealth.

This appeared to contradict an assurance he gave William Hague about becoming permanently resident which the former Conservative leader wrote would cost him "tens of millions of pounds".

On the World Tonight, Mr Hague was forced to admit that he'd only discovered the change - that Lord Ashcroft had agreed with the Cabinet Office that he could be a long term resident - a few months ago.

All this has caused frustration in senior levels of the party especially since Lord Ashcroft made his statement so close to an election.

There are signs that the party has sought to distance itself from its deputy chairman.

The level of his donations has fallen significantly since David Cameron became leader and big loans he made to the Conservatives were paid off because it was felt that the party shouldn't be in debt to just one man.

Damage

A number of MPs told us the affair had been damaging while Lord Kalms, one of the party's biggest donors, told me on Thursday that "Michael was getting a pretty good kicking and probably deserved it".

Labour too has issues with its donors. Lord Cohen, Lakshmi Mittal and others have made very large donations to the party and their tax status remains secret.

Labour peer Lord Paul has admitted that he is a non-dom. When I challenged him on Monday's World at One programme about whether it was ethical to play a part in UK legislation without paying full tax here, he replied it was within the law but when that changed, he would adjust his tax status.

So what impact will all of this have on the election? None whatsoever according to one Tory veteran I spoke to this week.

He reckoned it was just like the Gordon Brown bullying story. People weren't shocked to discover that the PM has a temper so nor would they be concerned that a very rich man gave money to the Tories.

Away from Westminster this week I have been to see the play Enron which I really enjoyed - a true theatrical event.

I also interviewed Ian McEwan about his new novel Solar. He says the book has its origins in an icy fjord when he visited the Arctic to view the consequences of climate change.

You may be surprised to hear then that it is extremely funny. You can watch him next Friday night at 11 on The Review Show.

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