THE ASHCROFT AFFAIR - THE DENIAL

'Until now, I have been able to ignore your allegations' This is the text
of an open letter from Michael Ashcroft, the treasurer of the Conservative
Party, to Peter Stothard, Editor of The Times, announcing his decision to
sue the newspaper:

Dear Mr Stothard,enough is enough. When I agreed to have breakfast with you
and Lord Bell six weeks ago, I listened carefully to your allegations and
answered all the points you raised. You told me that I had given a good
account of myself and I had expected to hear little more about it. How
wrong I proved to be!

Since that time, there has been an almost constant stream of inflammatory
articles in The Times about me, about Belize, and about organisations with
which I am connected.

I have tried to be reasonable. My lawyers have written to you day after day
asking you at least to have the decency to check the facts with me before
you publish.

You have consistently refused to do so.

Instead, we have witnessed perhaps the most one-sided, partial and coloured
account of anyone's affairs ever produced by a newspaper in a free country.
You print deliberately selective quotes, you twist every detail and
comment. You are the spin-doctor in this sorry saga.

Everything that fails to fit the construction which you have chosen to
place upon events is ignored, even official statements from the Government
of Belize, the US State Department and the Governor of the Central Bank of
Belize.

Over the years, I have developed a thick skin and, until now, I have been
able to ignore your allegations. But in the last 24 hours you have gone too
far.

As you well know, I established Crimestoppers and I have been chairman of
Action on Addiction.

I do not condone crime, and in particular I do not condone drug-trafficking.

I have nothing to hide. On Sunday, my lawyers wrote to you asking you to
publish the infamous DEA reports in full. You declined to do so.

Instead, we were last night warned by one of your journalists that a Labour
MP had been set up to ask questions in the House today about me. Step
forward Peter Bradley.

This morning, you published more about me, making it perfectly clear to
your readers what you consider my track record to be on both
drug-trafficking and money-laundering. This was followed, as planned, by
Peter Bradley's performance in the House of Commons.

This co-ordinated campaign - this conspiracy - to smear me at a crucial
point in the run up to an important by-election is disgusting.

I have asked myself the question why is The Times doing this? Until last
night, I was unable to find an answer.

But I learn from one of your journalists that, following your failure to
prevent Greg Dyke's recent appointment, you have told your colleagues that
instead you intend to get me. I have no intention of allowing you to get
me. I am this afternoon issuing a writ against you, your employers and two
of your journalists.

Yours sincerely, Michael A Ashcroft.