Not-Lord Ashcroft

A elected second chamber, where we would vote for the Parliamentarians who decide on our laws, could be a desirable democratic innovation.

However, a peerage remains a significant public honour which reflects an important measure of esteem in our political community. (This is why some trouble is supposed to be taken to ensure that peerages go only to fit and proper personages).

A certain Mr Michael Ashcroft, who was in his own words "totally serious about my desire to be known as Lord Ashcroft of Belize", failed to meet the obligations which were made a condition of his becoming a Lord and which his peers expected him to observe as a matter of personal honour. (Ludicrously, the Lords appointments commission believes it has no power to look again at a process overseen by its now abolished predecessor).

What a shambles.

Yet, as Mr David Cameron reminds us often, social responsibility is not only and always the duty of the state.

So, as a small and symbolic mark of disrespect, this blog will henceforth refer to the non-dom billionaire as Not-Lord Ashcroft.

May we commend the practice to the blogosphere.

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PS: In an unusually transparent act, you can read Not-Lord Ashcroft's personal account - "Dirty Politics, Dirty Times" - in full across 200 pages by downloading it from his website.

Read pages 188-189 for how Not-Lord Ashcroft was "deeply indebted to William that he pursued my peerage so vigorously", though he certainly did not like Hague's falsely telling his media that his desire to be called Lord Ashcroft of Belize was some sort of joke.

And also for how "William came up trumps" when Not-Lord Ashcroft believed his resignation as party Treasurer had become inevitable as early as the summer of 1999.