Amazon.com, Inc.

LONDON, March 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 

OUT NOW 

DIRTY POLITICS, DIRTY TIMES

My fight with Wapping and New Labour

By Michael Ashcroft

UPDATED EDITION FOR 2026 - includes never-before-seen photos and new epilogue

Price: £11.99 (Paperback)

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In the summer of 1999, Michael Ashcroft (now Lord Ashcroft) became the subject of concerted attacks aimed at unseating him as Treasurer of the Conservative Party. His attackers were The Times newspaper and the New Labour Government of Tony Blair. The ultimate target was William Hague (now Lord Hague), whose leadership would be destabilised and the finances of his party undermined had his Treasurer been forced from office.

This book is the personal account of Lord Ashcroft's six-year fight, first to resist a succession of wholly unjustified attacks, then to clear his damaged name and, finally, to expose the dirty tricks used against him – some of them even exploiting the fruits of criminal acts.

Wapping and New Labour were to discover that they had taken on a formidable, resourceful and determined opponent, one who would go on to reveal unacceptable aspects of both national newspaper journalism and British politics. This book sheds new light on the extraordinary life of an essentially private man. Lord Ashcroft, who remains as committed as ever to the Conservative Party and its values, also reveals how he helped the party through one of the most troubled periods in its history.

The book, however, ends on a positive note – with Lord Ashcroft, at eighty years old, full of energy and vigour, and still embracing his work and his passions. These include his varied business interests, his charitable work, his writing, his polling, championing bravery and supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia.

AUTHOR 

LORD ASHCROFT KCMG PC is an international businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. He is a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party and currently honorary chairman of the International Democracy Union. He is founder and chairman of the board of trustees of Crimestoppers, vice-patron of the Intelligence Corps Museum, chairman of the trustees of Ashcroft Technology Academy, a senior fellow of the International Strategic Studies Association, a life governor of the Royal Humane Society, a former chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University and a former trustee of Imperial War Museums. Lord Ashcroft is an award-winning author who has written more than thirty other books, largely on politics and bravery. His political books include biographies of David Cameron, Kemi Badenoch, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Carrie Johnson. His seven books on gallantry in the Heroes series include two on the Victoria Cross.

www.LordAshcroft.com

www.LordAshcroftPolls.com

www.LordAshcroftWildlife.com

www.LordAshcroftMedalCollection.com

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PRAISE FOR DIRTY POLITICS, DIRTY TIMES

"Anyone who wants to understand the politics of recent years and the techniques of New Labour needs to read this book."

Lord Hague

"I know few people who could have survived the onslaught which this book describes. I know of only one who could have responded with such gutsy determination."

Amanda Platell, writer and broadcaster

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New stewards aim to restore company's status as America's innovation store

NEW YORK, March 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Stores.com announced today it has acquired Hammacher Schlemmer, aiming to reclaim the 178-year-old brand's mantle as the place for curious shoppers to discover "The Best, The Only, and The Unexpected".

"Every Christmas season, there was one catalog I couldn't wait to get my hands on: Hammacher Schlemmer," says Matt Rutledge, CEO of Stores.com and founder and ex-CEO of Woot.com. "Now it just blows my mind that I've got the keys to the brand. And I can finally score one of those little ride-on trains!"

In its heyday, from the 1930s through the 1980s, the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog first brought new innovations like the pop-up toaster, the microwave oven, the electric blender, the Mr. Coffee machine, the electric toothbrush, and the cordless phone to American homes.

Rutledge's previous company, the daily deal originators Woot.com, made waves during the early years of ecommerce in the 2000s. Rutledge and much of the original Woot team exited in 2012 after it was acquired by Amazon, soon regrouping at Stores.com.

While Rutledge and Stores.com still run the madcap daily deal store Meh, he's quick to clarify that Hammacher Schlemmer will not be about discount deals, but about recapturing the sense of wonder and discovery that made it so legendary.

"We're revitalizing a revered brand known for 'The Best, the Only, and the Unexpected' with a team known for 'The Mediocre, the Cheap, and the Irreverent'," Rutledge says. "What's crazy is, I think we might just be the right people to do it."

A key piece of Hammacher Schlemmer's 178-year (!) heritage is its famous Lifetime Guarantee of Satisfaction, which will be honored for purchases at the new Hammacher Schlemmer.

"In an algorithmized, commoditized, throwaway era, when most retailers are nickel-and-diming customers on return policies, a Lifetime Guarantee of Satisfaction borders on absurd in the best possible way," Rutledge says. "We're keeping that promise alive. If future generations are going to understand what great service feels like, someone has to keep saying 'we'll make it right' long after everyone else has moved on."

The new Hammacher Schlemmer is live at hammacher.com, with more changes to come.

Looking for a juicier angle for this story? Try one of these readymade pieces:

• If you cover innovation, Kickstarter, and new products:
  
  Hammacher Schlemmer's new owners vow to turn it into "Kickstarter without the risk"
  
  "All the excitement of discovery, none of the broken promises," says Stores.com
• If you cover trends in ecommerce:
  
  Hammacher Schlemmer rises from the ashes to defy ecommerce enshittification
  
  "Algorithms, shmalgorithms" sneer new owners, including founder of Woot
• If you just hate us:
  
  Are the guys who sold out Woot about to destroy another beloved brand? 
  
  Hammacher Schlemmer becomes latest victim of serial ecommerce bunglers

0% of this press release was written by generative AI.

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SOURCE Hammacher Schlemmer