UK aid to Yemen

It’s claimed this snub inspired Ashcroft to try embarrass the Prime Minister.

If that’s the case, it’s backfired badly.

Aside from the pig tale that made him look like a tell-tale, Ashcroft claimed Cameron knew that he was a non-dom – paying less tax because he lived abroad – when the Tory leader was fudging the issue of what he knew about the peer’s tax affairs.

Again, when the accuser is admitting to a certain amount of jiggery-pokery to keep his tax bill down, albeit entirely legal and above board, people are quicker to dismiss the accusations.

The irony is that Ashcroft uses much of his fortune buying up Victoria Cross medals to keep them together rather than have private collectors squirrel them away across the globe.

He’s written a book about the VC so he knows about bravery and decency.

His behaviour over this latest book lacks either.

PODCAST Listen to James Millar at www.sundaypost.com

THE UK is to send £20 million of emergency aid to Yemen in an effort to avert famine.

International Development Secretary Justine Greening will also host an international summit in New York to co-ordinate a global response to the crisis.

The UN estimates 12 million Yemenis are struggling to find food with six million in danger of starvation due to civil war.

Greening said: “The world cannot close its eyes to the threat of famine in Yemen. We need urgent action to prevent thousands of needless deaths.”