{"product_id":"dirty-politics-dirty-times-1","title":"Dirty Politics, Dirty Times","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eUpdated 2026 edition,\nincluding never-before-seen photos and new epilogue.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the summer of 1999,\nMichael Ashcroft (now Lord Ashcroft) became the subject of concerted attacks\naimed at unseating him as Treasurer of the Conservative Party. His attackers\nwere \u003ci\u003eThe Times \u003c\/i\u003enewspaper and the New Labour Government of Tony Blair.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe ultimate target was\nWilliam Hague (now Lord Hague), whose leadership would be destabilised and the\nfinances of his party undermined had his Treasurer been forced from office.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is the personal\naccount of Lord Ashcroft's six-year fight, first to resist a succession of\nwholly unjustified attacks, then to clear his damaged name and, finally, to\nexpose the dirty tricks used against him - some of them even exploiting the\nfruits of criminal acts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWapping and New Labour\nwere to discover that they had taken on a formidable, resourceful and\ndetermined opponent, one who would go on to reveal unacceptable aspects of both\nnational newspaper journalism and British politics. This book sheds new light\non the extraordinary life of an essentially private man. Lord Ashcroft, who\nremains as committed as ever to the Conservative Party and its values, also\nreveals how he helped the party through one of the most troubled periods in its\nhistory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe book, however, ends\non a positive note - with Lord Ashcroft, at eighty years old, full of energy\nand vigour, and still embracing his work and his passions. These include his\nvaried business interests, his charitable work, his writing, his polling,\nchampioning bravery and supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Biteback Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Product","offer_id":57258980671832,"sku":"9781837360512","price":15.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/dirty-politics-dirty-times-1","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}