That's what The Sunday Times is reporting:
"Lord Ashcroft, the billionaire who has helped to bankroll the Tory party and is now its deputy chairman, is to leave most of his money - about £900m - to charity. It could be the biggest charitable bequest made in Britain and will be shared between causes ranging from arresting criminals to assisting wounded servicemen and saving whales. Ashcroft's three children will get only about 20% of his fortune, but he claims they will have the consolation of enjoying giving away his money."
Quite wonderful.
Is there anything to stop Lord Ashcroft endowing the Tories with £250 million and we living off it forever?
Posted by: Alan S | October 18, 2008 at 21:39
Alan, most likely the It's Unfair 'Cos Ashcroft Is Rich And Likes The Tories Act 2009 ;)
Posted by: David (One of many) | October 18, 2008 at 21:54
If Lord Ashcroft is giving to charity Alan then the Tories won't benefit.
Posted by: Vincent Wall | October 18, 2008 at 21:55
Oh, and fair play to Ashcroft. A wonderful decision, and I'm sure thousands of people will benefit from his generosity.
Posted by: David (One of many) | October 18, 2008 at 21:56
I hope he does give all his money to good causes.
Noone should be able to give more than £200 or so to a political party.
Only when there are strict caps on political donations will our party politics truly serve all the people.
Posted by: Jennifer Wells | October 18, 2008 at 21:58
What a typically wonderful piece of news from a great guy. The thing that so many of our opponents ignore is that Michael Ascroft gives to causes and not to people. Michael generously supported me at the last election and I was roundly attacked by the LibDems for accepting that support. I do hope (but don't expect) that the LibDems next time will attack today's candidates for accepting money from someone who intends to leave £900m to charity. Well done Michael.
Posted by: Conor Burns | October 18, 2008 at 22:33
The timing of this announcement is extraordinary. Just when we here he is being investigated by the electoral commission, he armours himself by telling people now what he'll do when he's dead. Very smooth.
Posted by: resident leftie | October 18, 2008 at 23:18
'resident leftie' if you have been educated under this Government its probably wrong to point this out but....your post 'just when we here...'. 'Here'is a place. 'Hear' is what you do with your ears or with news. Never mind. I'm sure your leftie comrades won't care
Posted by: grammar | October 19, 2008 at 00:06
So, he is a good man after all. Good for him.
Posted by: YourNameHere | October 19, 2008 at 09:33
he's actually giving his children the greatest gift - the chance to build and work.
not to mention the good his charities, no doubt carefully chosen will do.
if only those with inherited wealth had the same sense...
Posted by: support the strivers | October 19, 2008 at 15:57
What a champion. Good on him..
Posted by: Tyke | October 19, 2008 at 19:49
Why is the time extraordinary Resident Leftie? Nothing hasd changed in the last year. It was more than a year ago you and many other Labour apparatchiks started bleating about Michael Ashcroft and years since Tom Baldwin (a mouthpiece of Alistair Campbell) disgraced himself in the Times. Nothing has changed since then.
Ashcroft does not hide behind anonymity in his charitable work but neither does he shout about it either. I wonder how many on this blog realise the extent to which Ashcroft backs Crimestoppers? Without him it would not be anything like the force it is. He is a force for good in this country.
I would take your criticism of him as a standard attack on a political opponent under normal circumstances but what really sticks in my craw is that you attack Ashcroft at the same time as you have declared public support for some of the most ethically and morally bankrupt men ever to disgrace British politics.
Posted by: Malcolm Dunn | October 19, 2008 at 19:52
'grammar' "if you have been educated under this Government its probably wrong to point this out"
It's = It is
You need to brush up on your grammar yourself!
Posted by: Anonymous | October 20, 2008 at 00:04
Philanthropy on this scale will benefit a huge number of people & good causes. An absolutely wonderful pledge.
Posted by: Chris Kelly | October 20, 2008 at 00:31
Posted by: grammar | October 19, 2008 at 00:06
'resident leftie' if you have been educated under this Government its probably wrong to point this out but....your post 'just when we here...'. 'Here'is a place. 'Hear' is what you do with your ears or with news. Never mind. I'm sure your leftie comrades won't care
I admit that I'm not so hot with homophones.
However, criticising grammar and spelling instead of substance shows the weakness of your position, and leaves you open to that criticism yourself, as Anonymous pointed out. There are four more grammatical or syntactic errors in the rest of your missive. If you were educated at public school, it was wasted money.
Posted by: Malcolm Dunn | October 19, 2008 at 19:52
Why is the time extraordinary Resident Leftie? Nothing hasd changed in the last year. It was more than a year ago you and many other Labour apparatchiks started bleating about Michael Ashcroft and years since Tom Baldwin (a mouthpiece of Alistair Campbell) disgraced himself in the Times. Nothing has changed since then.
Ashcroft does not hide behind anonymity in his charitable work but neither does he shout about it either. I wonder how many on this blog realise the extent to which Ashcroft backs Crimestoppers? Without him it would not be anything like the force it is. He is a force for good in this country
Well, what has specifically changed is that he is now under investigation by the electoral commission. This story is cynically timed to pre-empt that stpry.
As for his "quiet" work for charity, perhaps he'd be better off not boasting about it in interviews on numerous occasions and talking about it at length on his website. Most of us don't issue press releases about our posthumous generosity. His poor kids are going to have to scrape by on £180 million between them - have some sympathy.
How much of that money should be in UK government coffers?
Posted by: resident leftie | October 20, 2008 at 09:44
sadly the leftie has it all wrong as to timing. this "announcement" was in his book Dirty Politics Dirty Times over 4 years ago!!!!
Posted by: bill symonds | October 20, 2008 at 11:02
Posted by: bill symonds | October 20, 2008 at 11:02
sadly the leftie has it all wrong as to timing. this "announcement" was in his book Dirty Politics Dirty Times over 4 years ago!!!!
The Times says:
"Ashcroft announced his bequest in a new epilogue to his book Dirty Politics, Dirty Times, published on his website. An update states: “I have prepared my will. I have never been a great believer in inherited wealth. More than 80% of my assets — and I never discuss how much I am worth — will be left to a charitable foundation in my name.”
The question isn't when he first made the announcement, but why it's suddently appeared like a rash all over the right wing press. I look forward to the Electoral Commission's report, although I suspect a "letter not the spirit" response, and some changes to the rules.
Posted by: resident leftie | October 20, 2008 at 14:44