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Lord Ashcroft resigns from House of Lords to focus on polling and publishing Lord Ashcroft resigns from House of Lords to focus on polling and publishing
(about 3 hours later)
Lord Ashcroft has announced that he is to resign from the House of Lords to allow him to concentrate on his career as a pollster and political publisher. Lord Ashcroft has announced that he is to resign from the House of Lords, allowing him to concentrate on his career as a pollster and political publisher and giving him the chance to revive his “non-dom” tax status.
The former Tory deputy chairman tweeted a link to a statement on his website in which he said that his new interests meant that he could not devote enough time to the Lords.The former Tory deputy chairman tweeted a link to a statement on his website in which he said that his new interests meant that he could not devote enough time to the Lords.
But the multimillionaire, whose influence has been growing at Westminster over the past year with the publication of his weekly Lord Ashcroft Polls, indicated that he would keep his title. Under the House of Lords Reform Act 2014, peers retain their titles when they resign from the upper house. He tweeted: “Retired Lords keep their title and can use the facilities of the house should they wish to.” But the multimillionaire, whose influence has been growing at Westminster over the past year with the publication of his weekly Lord Ashcroft Polls, indicated that he would keep his title. Under the House of Lords Reform Act 2014, peers retain their titles when they resign from the upper house.
Ashcroft’s decision to resign from the Lords means he could revive his non-domiciled tax status. Holders of this status do not pay tax on earnings abroad in the UK. The peer announced in 2010 that he would abandon his “non-dom” status to comply with new House of Lords rules, which prevent non-doms from sitting in the upper house. Ashcroft’s decision to resign from the Lords means he could revive his non-domiciled tax status. Holders of this status do not pay UK tax on earnings abroad. The peer announced in 2010 that he would abandon his “non-dom” status to comply with new House of Lords rules, which prevent non-doms from sitting in the upper house.
In his statement, Ashcroft said: “Earlier this year Baroness D’Souza, the Lord Speaker, said that any member of the House of Lords who can ‘no longer contribute meaningfully’ should retire. She added that since the house has close to 800 members, ‘retirement at the right time should be seen as a condition of membership of the House of Lords – a duty as well as a right’. In his statement, Ashcroft said: “Earlier this year Baroness D’Souza, the Lord Speaker, said that any member of the House of Lords who can ‘no longer contribute meaningfully’ should retire. She added that since the house has close to 800 members, ‘retirement at the right time should be seen as a condition of membership of the House of Lords – a duty as well as a right’. I agree with the Speaker.”
“I agree with the Speaker, and have concluded that my other activities do not permit me to devote the time that membership of the Lords properly requires. Accordingly, I have today written to the clerk of the parliaments giving notice of my resignation from the House of Lords with immediate effect, pursuant to section 1(1) of the House of Lords Reform Act 2014.
“I will continue my involvement in politics through Lord Ashcroft Polls and my political publishing interests: ConservativeHome, Biteback Publishing and Dods.”
Ashcroft has become increasingly detached from the Conservative party in recent years. He has poor relations with David Cameron and now regards himself as being above the party political fray as a pollster and publisher.Ashcroft has become increasingly detached from the Conservative party in recent years. He has poor relations with David Cameron and now regards himself as being above the party political fray as a pollster and publisher.
Ashcroft was first nominated as a peer by then Tory leader William Hague in 1999 but was rejected by the political honours scrutiny committee – in part because of his non-dom status.
In March 2000 Hague, whose leadership benefited from Ashcroft cash, wrote to the then prime minister Tony Blair to reassure the same committee that he would become a permanent UK resident.
Ashcroft himself had to provide a written undertaking in which he gave the Tory leader his “clear and unequivocal assurance” that he had decided to take up “permanent residence in the UK again before the end of this calendar year”. However, Ashcroft remained domiciled abroad for the next 10 years.
Ashcroft maintains strong links with Belize, the small Central American tax haven where he spent several years as a child. Earlier this month, he unusually invited trade union officials in Belize to a meeting, according to an email from Amalia Mai, the chief executive of local station Channel 5 which is owned by Ashcroft. The email said that “discussions would be in areas of mutual interest and if you may have any topic of particular interest, I am sure it could be raised”.
Ashcroft visited the country during an election in early March and was quoted on one Belizean website saying that he plans to take greater interest in the politics of the country. “I do intend to take quite an interest in the politics of Belize over the next period of time,” he was quoted as saying by the Guardian (Belize).