Michael Ashcroft

Two weeks ago you raised a variety of questions for Lord Ashcroft.  Michael answers them below.

James Maskell: Do you believe that the A-List is an appropriate tool for candidate selection in key marginals?

As I showed in Smell The Coffee (now available in full on www.lordashcroft.com if you will excuse the plug), we need to change the way people see the Party if we are to win the next Election.  A key part of that must be to have candidates in our target seats that are representative of modern Britain.  This is not about appealing to a fashionable set in London; it is about appealing to the people whose votes we need to get rid of this Labour Government.  David Cameron has acknowledged that the process is difficult for some of the individuals involved but it is right for the Party as a whole.  I have been following the debate on ConservativeHome on this subject closely and I am pleased to see that most of the comments have expressed disappointment about people who have been left off the A-List, rather than criticising the people who have got on.  I know more people will be added to the list over the summer and hopefully that will address most of the concerns.

CDM: Where do you stand on Lords Reform?

Well, if we were designing a legislative system from scratch, I don’t think anybody would be proposing the current House of Lords.  I understand the merits of an elected second chamber but in my view there are a number of drawbacks.  In particular, would an elected second chamber attract people with the same wide range of experience and spirit of independence?  The remaining hereditary peers make a significant contribution to the work of the House of Lords but, as a matter of principle, I believe that people should be there on merit, rather than by accident of birth.