Labour and the Lib Dems raise concerns over Ashcroft

The row over the influence of Lord Ashcroft takes another turn with a story in The Guardian this morning about whether or not Lord Ashcroft has returned to the UK and is now paying tax in this country. Labour and the Lib Dems are keen to stoke up this issue and David Heath, the Lib Dems’s constitutional spokesman, tells the paper:

“No one should take a place in the legislature of this country who doesn’t pay taxes in this country. If he has reneged [on his agreement] it’s very simple: he should no longer be a member of the House of Lords. He has a stark choice. He has given assurances – it’s up to him to show he has kept them. If he has nothing to hide, he should make clear he pays taxes in this country like everyone else.”