About Lord Ashcroft
Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC is an international businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. For more information on his life and career, visit www.lordashcroft.com. Follow him on X: @LordAshcroft and/ or Facebook: fb.com/LordAshcroft.
As this website testifies, Lord Ashcroft campaigns vigorously on wildlife issues. He commissioned two undercover investigations into captive-bred lion “farming" in South Africa. His book, Unfair Game, published in 2020, detailed his findings, along with his calls for cruel and sometimes illegal practices to be halted. In 2007, he intervened to try to prevent the Japanese government from overturning the ban on whale hunting. In conjunction with the Environmental Investigations Agency, a campaigning organisation, he commissioned a major advertising campaign to persuade six small Caribbean nations not to support Japan’s moves. In 2020, he wrote a major newspaper article criticising Norway, one of the world’s richest country, for continuing to hunt whales. In 2018, Lord Ashcroft highlighted the problems of rhino poaching in Africa by sponsoring a conservation project for military veterans in South Africa. In the past, he has also supported the Tusk Trust, set up to protect elephants and other African wildlife.
Lord Ashcroft is a former treasurer and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. He serves as honorary chairman of the International Democracy Union, an alliance of centre-right political parties across the world, and he is both a privy councillor and a knight of the realm.
As a successful entrepreneur, Lord Ashcroft has varied and substantial business interests around the world in public and private companies. He has long had major business interests in Britain, the US and the Caribbean. More recently, he has been a driving force behind the creation of new cities across Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo through Rendeavour, Africa’s largest urban developer.
He is founder and chairman of the board of trustees of Crimestoppers, the independent charity enabling anyone to report crime anonymously. It has led to 161,000 suspects being arrested, more than £145 million of stolen property recovered and more than £450 million of illegal drugs seized.
Lord Ashcroft is founder and chairman of the trustees of Ashcroft Technology Academy which is consistently ranked among the top 15 state schools in the country. He is a senior fellow of the International Strategic Studies Association, a life governor of the Royal Humane Society, vice-patron of the Intelligence Corps Museum, a former chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University (which awarded him an honorary doctorate), a former trustee of Imperial War Museums, a former patron of the Forces in Mind Trust Research and a former president of the West India Committee. He has also been awarded the Freedom of the City of London.
Lord Ashcroft is an award-winning author who has written more than 30 books. His political books include biographies of David [Lord] Cameron, Rishi Sunak, Kemi Badenoch, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Sir Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Carrie Johnson. His seven books on gallantry in the “Heroes” series include two on the Victoria Cross. He is also the author of the award-winning book, In The Shadows: The Extraordinary Men and Women of the Intelligence Corps.
As a military historian who champions gallantry, Lord Ashcroft has built the world’s largest collection of VCs, currently more than 240 in number. He bounced back from the disappointment of the Imperial War Museums unexpectedly closing the Lord Ashcroft Gallery in 2025 by creating a remarkable virtual tour of the gallery, which has been watched and enjoyed by thousands of "visitors". His medal collection will eventually go back on public display. Lord Ashcroft is also the former Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Veterans’ Transition.
His interest in polling began in the run-up to the 2005 general election, when he commissioned research to find out why the Conservative Party had failed to recover from its crushing defeat in 1997. After the 2010 election, he established Lord Ashcroft Polls, with the aim of studying public opinion on all aspects of politics – parties, leaders, policy issues, topical questions and the social and cultural background against which voters make their decisions.
Lord Ashcroft is a passionate and unwavering supporter of Ukraine. Since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he has travelled to Ukraine 13 times, including to frontline cities, towns and villages. He has ensured Ukraine remains firmly in the public consciousness, writing frequently for national newspapers. His support for Ukraine has been both practical and generous. He has made substantial donations to Ukrainian charities, including a major contribution to the Olena Zelenska Foundation. This funding has been used for two major reconstruction projects in the war-torn country.. In recognition of his steadfast commitment, Lord Ashcroft was awarded the “Ukraine Above All” medal by Ukrainian military intelligence. He has also been sanctioned by Russia, something he wears as a badge of honour.
His international service also includes time as Belize’s Ambassador to the United Nations. In an unusual and unique distinction, he was honoured with the hereditary title of Viscount Gondar by the Crown Council of Ethiopia. He is also an honorary Belize Rotarian and a senior JP in Belize.
Lord Ashcroft is a former treasurer and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. He serves as honorary chairman of the International Democracy Union, an alliance of centre-right political parties across the world, and he is both a privy councillor and a knight of the realm.
As a successful entrepreneur, Lord Ashcroft has varied and substantial business interests around the world in public and private companies. He has long had major business interests in Britain, the US and the Caribbean. More recently, he has been a driving force behind the creation of new cities across Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo through Rendeavour, Africa’s largest urban developer.
He is founder and chairman of the board of trustees of Crimestoppers, the independent charity enabling anyone to report crime anonymously. It has led to 161,000 suspects being arrested, more than £145 million of stolen property recovered and more than £450 million of illegal drugs seized.
Lord Ashcroft is founder and chairman of the trustees of Ashcroft Technology Academy which is consistently ranked among the top 15 state schools in the country. He is a senior fellow of the International Strategic Studies Association, a life governor of the Royal Humane Society, vice-patron of the Intelligence Corps Museum, a former chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University (which awarded him an honorary doctorate), a former trustee of Imperial War Museums, a former patron of the Forces in Mind Trust Research and a former president of the West India Committee. He has also been awarded the Freedom of the City of London.
Lord Ashcroft is an award-winning author who has written more than 30 books. His political books include biographies of David [Lord] Cameron, Rishi Sunak, Kemi Badenoch, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Sir Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Carrie Johnson. His seven books on gallantry in the “Heroes” series include two on the Victoria Cross. He is also the author of the award-winning book, In The Shadows: The Extraordinary Men and Women of the Intelligence Corps.
As a military historian who champions gallantry, Lord Ashcroft has built the world’s largest collection of VCs, currently more than 240 in number. He bounced back from the disappointment of the Imperial War Museums unexpectedly closing the Lord Ashcroft Gallery in 2025 by creating a remarkable virtual tour of the gallery, which has been watched and enjoyed by thousands of "visitors". His medal collection will eventually go back on public display. Lord Ashcroft is also the former Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Veterans’ Transition.
His interest in polling began in the run-up to the 2005 general election, when he commissioned research to find out why the Conservative Party had failed to recover from its crushing defeat in 1997. After the 2010 election, he established Lord Ashcroft Polls, with the aim of studying public opinion on all aspects of politics – parties, leaders, policy issues, topical questions and the social and cultural background against which voters make their decisions.
Lord Ashcroft is a passionate and unwavering supporter of Ukraine. Since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he has travelled to Ukraine 13 times, including to frontline cities, towns and villages. He has ensured Ukraine remains firmly in the public consciousness, writing frequently for national newspapers. His support for Ukraine has been both practical and generous. He has made substantial donations to Ukrainian charities, including a major contribution to the Olena Zelenska Foundation. This funding has been used for two major reconstruction projects in the war-torn country.. In recognition of his steadfast commitment, Lord Ashcroft was awarded the “Ukraine Above All” medal by Ukrainian military intelligence. He has also been sanctioned by Russia, something he wears as a badge of honour.
His international service also includes time as Belize’s Ambassador to the United Nations. In an unusual and unique distinction, he was honoured with the hereditary title of Viscount Gondar by the Crown Council of Ethiopia. He is also an honorary Belize Rotarian and a senior JP in Belize.