William Hague, who now pronounced he had well known about Lord Ashcroft"s taxation station for a integrate of months. Photograph: Graeme Robertson
William Hague usually found out a integrate of months ago that the multimillionaire Tory donor Lord Ashcroft had renegotiated the conditions underneath that took up his place in the House of Lords, the former Conservative personality referred to today.
In an talk for BBC Radio 4"s World Tonight programme, Hague pronounced he usually not prolonged ago detected the conditions of the agreement that authorised Ashcroft to sojourn a "non-dom" for taxation purposes.
Listen to Hague on the World Tonight here Link to this audioIn 2000 Hague referred to that Ashcroft would turn a full UK taxpayer when he took his chair in the Lords. But this week Ashcroft referred to that he has been a non-dom for the last 10 years, after a understanding was concluded at the time his nobility was awarded.
In the Radio 4 debate, Hague was asked if the "first he had known" of the agreement was when Ashcroft referred to it on Monday.
Hague said: "Well I knew in allege of that." Robin Lustig, the presenter, pulpy Hague on just when he had found out. Hague replied: "Over the last integrate of months I knew about that and of march I was penetrating to await him afterwards in creation his on all sides public."
In 2000 Ashcroft offering Hague, who was afterwards Tory leader, a "clear and unequivocal" declaration that if Ashcroft was postulated a nobility he would be a permanent proprietor in the UK by the finish of that year. That minute was upheld to the House of Lords appointments committee, that was scrutinising his nomination.
Hague, the shade unfamiliar secretary, was vocalization during a discuss at Chatham House organized by the World Tonight with the unfamiliar secretary, David Miliband, and the Liberal Democrat unfamiliar affairs spokesman, Ed Davey. After the discuss Hague left last and by theback door, to equivocate reporters collected outside.
Speaking rught away after the debate, Davey told the Guardian: "There are dual questions we right away need to know. How prolonged is a integrate of months? Because he has been going turn on the jot down fortifying Ashcroft"s station and secondly, when and what visits were done with, and paid for by, Ashcroft."
Earlier now Harriet Harman, the emissary Labour leader, called on David Cameron to pouch Hague or Ashcroft since they could not both be right in propinquity to what they had pronounced about the promises done when the Tory emissary authority perceived his peerage.
Harman, who was station in for Gordon Brown during budding minister"s questions, asked Hague what had happened to the additional taxes that had been promised.
"The shade unfamiliar cabinet member stands here but a fragment of credibility," Harman said.
Insisting Hague and Ashcroft could not "both be right", she added: "One of them contingency go."
In the Commons Hague, who was station in for David Cameron, indicted Labour of being in a "desperate panic".
He additionally pounded Labour"s jot down on celebration funding, revelation her: "People in potion houses shouldn"t throw stones."
Hague became executive to the row after the Guardian published sum of letters in between him and afterwards budding apportion Tony Blair from 1999 and 2000.
In a minute following the domestic honours committee"s 1999 warding off of Ashcroft"s assignment for a peerage, Hague concurred that one reason for their preference was that "Mr Ashcroft was a taxation exile".
He reliable that Ashcroft was "non-resident for taxation purposes" but told Blair: "He is committed to apropos proprietor ... This preference will cost him (and good the Treasury) tens of millions a year in taxation nonetheless he considers it worthwhile."
Electoral Commission annals indicate that the Conservatives one after an additional to suffer gifts from Ashcroft until Dec last year.
In the last 3 months of last year Ashcroft donated, around Flying Lion LTD a association he owns that is formed in Bermuda, 3 apart trips: a £5,097.98 revisit to the US, £4,558.90 for a revisit to Doha and a £10,736.50 outing to China and Hong Kong.
All 3 donations were done to Conservative Central Office, but it is not transparent who in the party"s domicile enjoyed Ashcroft"s hospitality.
He additionally donated an additional £80,987 around Bearwood Corporate Services, a British-based association he owns, that is now underneath review by the Electoral Commission, that is attempting to settle either it was in actuality handling as a entirely fledged association at the time of the donations.
