Michael Ashcroft
Michael Ashcroft
Michael Anthony P. Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft, KCMG, PCis a businessman and politician. He is a former Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party. Ashcroft founded Michael A. Ashcroft Associates in 1972 and is the 74th richest person in the UK, as ranked by the Sunday Times Rich List 2015, with an estimated fortune of £1.32 billion...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionBusinessman
Date of Birth4 March 1946
britain decoration early hoped ultimate victoria
When I was in my early twenties, I hoped one day to own a Victoria Cross, the ultimate decoration in Britain and the Commonwealth for bravery in the face of the enemy.
ahead appealing beyond blair clear competent gave job john labour lead leadership offering overall smith standing tories voters
While loyalists and defectors overall said John Smith did a better job of standing up for Labour's values, they put Blair ahead on representing the whole country, appealing beyond traditional Labour voters and offering strong, competent leadership; switchers to the Tories gave him a clear lead in all categories.
attacking brown change decided gordon labour missed people rather setting spent sure time
We spent too much time attacking Gordon Brown and Labour rather than setting out our own plans. People had decided they wanted change - the thing they were not sure about was the alternative we were offering, so going on and on about Labour missed the point.
collar found longer natural people share talk tories
Conservatives like to talk about 'the strivers' who share what they like to think of as Conservative values. But as I found in my Blue Collar Tories research in 2012, such people no longer see the party as their natural ally.