Lord Ashcroft Resigns from House of Lords, Remains A Peer

There is interesting news coming out of the United Kingdom tonight and it is that Lord Michael Ashcroft has resigned from the House of Lords but he will keep his title.  Earlier today in London, Lord Ashcroft wrote to the Clerk of Parliament informing of his decision which takes immediate effect and which caught many by surprise.  In a statement appearing on his website, Ashcroft wrote that he was stepping down to concentrate on his other interests as pollster and publisher. Says the statement, “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 eight hundred 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, and have concluded that my other activities do not permit me to devote the time that membership of the Lords properly requires.” The statement ends by saying that Lord Ashcroft will continue his involvement in politics through Lord Ashcroft Polls and his political publishing interests: Conservative Home, Biteback Publishing and Dods. The former treasurer and deputy chairman contributed significantly to the Conservative party in the UK before standing down from those posts to conduct polling in marginal seats in the UK the results of which are seen as a barometer of how the elections could unfold.  Of late, he has also been making frequent visits to Belize and while he has expressed opinions on politics, including third parties, it is known he has generally shied away from campaign financing.