Ashcroft’s sharp dig at lobbyists

A TYPICALLY waspish view of the conference from Lord Ashcroft, 72, former deputy Tory chairman before he fell out with David Cameron.

Writing for Conservative-Home, he said: ‘You can tell you’re getting on a bit when the lobbyists start to look younger.

‘During questions at fringe events someone will stand up whom you assume to be a student in a suit, but will invariably announce themselves as the Assistant Director of Corporate Affairs at the Widget Manufacturers’ Association, or the Head of Stakeholder Engagement at one of the charities whose budgets strangely stretch to a week at a party conference, and probably three weeks at three party conferences.’