Baron Belize: Buying Power for Conservatives Now "On Autopilot"

Looks like Lord Michael Ashcroft, the grubby Vulture Capitalist and world wide political dabbler - with more pies than fingers - has pretty much admitted that he has completely failed to be a man of his word and start paying personal tax in the UK. As a quid pro quo for his Baronetcy. Very reluctantly given by Blair. Ashcroft is also making a liar of the Rt Hon William Hague who crossed his heart and hoped to die to get old moneybags into the House of Lords. And of David Cameron who claimed in an interview with Andrew Marr that Ashcroft was making the requisite arrangements.

Following The Independent story this week revealing that Ashcroft's election-buying in the UK at least was endangered The Telegraph say Ashcroft has donated £10 Million over recent years and will pack in any formal role for the Tories after the election. He's a feisty so-and-so.

The decision to quit as deputy chairman in charge of campaigning was unexpected. "The work will continue after the election so we maintain political activity in our constituencies over a whole Parliament not just the last few months. It will continue but without me. My work in the party is done. It is virtually all now on autopilot."
He will continue to support the Conservatives financially but again refused to discuss his tax status. "When it becomes mandatory for everyone to discuss their tax affairs in public then I will be happy to do so."

Now he's on the run the Electoral Commission and others should review all his donations, through the agency of Bearwood Securities - as in "Is Ashcroft at it? Do bears etc" - and the devious ones through Flying Lion too. They may be "within the rules" but how do they look now the sleazometer is re-calibrated?

MEANWHILE: The Daily Mirror have built on their Cameron cycling with 4x4 following scoop of 2007 with a revelation that this utter hypocrite used a gas-guzzling helicopter to visit an eco-fuel project. And he refused to wear a white lab coat for hygiene.

UPDATE 20:31: Labour Matters reveal that the so-called meeting, we say stunt, on Ecofuels lasted just 20 minutes; and that Cameron has form for Helicopter flavoured malfeasance.