80-607: Michael Anthony Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft , KCMG , PC (born 4 March 1946) is a British- Belizean businessman, pollster and politician. He is a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party . Ashcroft founded Michael A. Ashcroft Associates in 1972 and was the 132nd richest person in the UK, as ranked by the Sunday Times Rich List 2021 , with an estimated fortune of £1.257 billion. He
160-498: A Dassault Falcon 7X , registration VP-BZE, via his Bermudian registered company, Flying Lion. On 27 December 2017, while parked at the Malta International Airport , the plane careened off the apron, smashed into a fence and a road before crashing into an office building. The incident is believed to have occurred after the plane's wheel chocks were blown away due to strong winds. No injuries were reported but
240-907: A 49 percent share in Prévost , a leading North American manufacturer of coaches and bus shells in 1995. The other 51 percent of Prévost was owned by Volvo . Car dealerships produced less than one fifth of Henlys' 1996 profits. The motor division, with 32 dealerships covering most major manufacturers, was sold in August 1997 to HMG, formed for the purpose by venture capitalist Legal and General Ventures. The motor division merged with Hancock Motors of Sevenoaks but HMG Holdings entered administration in February 2001. At that time HMG operated 38 sites represented 12 manufacturers and employed 1,800 to 2,000 people. Most of Henlys' substantial net cash surplus went to pay for Canada's Nova Bus Corporation. The Nova Bus deal
320-531: A Canadian-registered company, Mipec. Controlled by Ashcroft's Hawley Goodall, Henlys was merged with the already-owned funeral hearse maker Coleman Milne to form a motoring division. In 1989, Hawley Goodall sold its motoring division consisting of Henlys and Coleman Milne to the Plaxton Group, the bus and coach manufacturer based in Scarborough , North Yorkshire. 1987 was a key year for Hawley. In
400-780: A GCMG in Skyfall . Daniel Craig , who has portrayed Bond on film, was appointed (CMG) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to film and theatre. The general release on 30 September 2021 of his last appearance as James Bond, in No Time to Die , had been delayed by almost two years due to a change of director and the COVID-19 pandemic. Coinciding with the film's premiere, and matching his fictional character's rank, Craig became an Honorary Commander in Britain's Royal Navy . Following this appointment, he committed to being an ambassador for
480-458: A depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of the latter. Knights and Dames Commanders and Companions may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. In the satirical British television programme Yes Minister , Jim Hacker MP is told a joke by his Private Secretary, Bernard Woolley , about what
560-604: A disliking for such flippant expenditure, immediately sold off the aircraft. Wickins joined the board of Hawley Goodall, remaining there until the Tyco takeover. He retired from BCA in 1990. In 1995, to allow for the Tyco transaction, the group decided to divest itself of BCA. The residual North American arm was sold to trade buyers, while the European arm was sold to a consortium of some 40 private investors, including Ashcroft via his Belize-based investment company. In September 2006, BCA
640-534: A majority stake in Lotus Cars , as well as provide finance for other joint-ventures. By 1981, Hawley had made its first acquisitions in the United States, and its total revenues had grown to $ 27 million. By early 1983, Hawley had built up a 20% stake in pharmaceutical packaging manufacturer Cope Allman. Ashcroft offered to increase his stake to 29.9%, just below the 30% level at which a formal bid for
720-647: A new business school building in Cambridge. Lord Ashcroft Building in Chelmsford was inaugurated in 2003 and Lord Ashcroft Building in Cambridge was opened in 2011. Both business school buildings carry his name. However, the business school was renamed to Faculty of Business and Law at Anglia Ruskin University. He is the sponsor of Ashcroft Technology Academy in Wandsworth, a state secondary school within
800-615: A period in Belize after completing his education, Ashcroft returned to hitch hike around Europe, and then for a short period of time became the manager of a rock and roll band. In 1967, Ashcroft joined Carreras Tobacco as a management trainee. He left Carreras in 1969, joining Pritchard Services Group, a cleaning and business services company, after several months unemployed. In 1972, at the age of 26, he started his own business, Michael A. Ashcroft Associates, which he used to launch several profitable acquisitions. Ashcroft's first acquisition
880-571: A personal gain of £200m. Ashcroft has a 72.3% stake in English sparkling wine producer Gusbourne, which he acquired in 2013 for £7 million. In April 1972, Ashcroft married Wendy Mahoney. They had two sons and one daughter; the marriage was dissolved in 1984. His second marriage in 1986 was to Susan Anstey. The couple have homes in London, Maidenhead in Berkshire, and Belize. Ashcroft owns
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#1732791733895960-537: A result of the sale of ADT, stating that he needed the capital to diversify into other things and that he never retained a substantial stake in any enterprise which he did not control. Ashcroft nevertheless continued as a non-executive director of Tyco, a role he still held in 2002 when Tyco CEO Dennis Kozlowski was arrested in New York in connection with personal tax offences. Unease had already been expressed at Tyco at some of Kozlowski's corporate decisions and Ashcroft
1040-409: A series of acquisitions, transforming the company into a business services group, ranging from janitorial services for hospitals and offices, to car auction services, and later with a focus on the security services industry. Through the sale of the car auctions division to the fast-expanding British Car Auctions (BCA), he formed a lifelong friendship with David Wickins , whom he would later help take
1120-579: A significant figure in Australian politics having been identified as the single largest individual donor to any Australian political party during the 2004–05 financial year. The Australian Electoral Commission reported in February 2006 that Ashcroft (who gave his address as "House of Lords, Westminster, London") had donated $ 1 million to the Liberal Party in September 2004, shortly before
1200-494: A strategy of diversification and expansion through the 1990s. The established Wigan bus bodybuilder Northern Counties was bought in 1995 for £10 million. The UK bus and coach manufacturing business, trading under the Plaxton brand, continued to produce a range of bus and coach bodywork. It also owned one of the largest UK coach dealers, Kirkby, and provided after-sales services to coach and bus operators. Henlys acquired
1280-462: A takeover of Corporate Services Group in 1999, in June 2006 he increased his stake to 28.5%, prompting speculation that he might make an offer for the remaining shares in the company. In May 2008 the merger of Carlisle Group and Corporate Services Group to form Impellam Group was announced. In September 2007, Ashcroft agreed to the sale of AIM listed cleaning services supplier OneSource. Based mainly in
1360-470: A £2m donation on the condition that it should go to his specified candidates rather than into general Conservative Central Office funds. Ashcroft stated in 2005: "I much prefer to be involved, to make sure that my investment is wisely placed." In December 2005, he was appointed Deputy chairman of the Conservative Party . During the " Cash for Peerages " controversy, on 31 March 2006 Ashcroft
1440-478: Is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV ), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III . It is named in honour of two military saints , Michael and George . The Order of St Michael and St George was originally awarded to those holding commands or high position in the Mediterranean territories acquired in
1520-461: Is hung, emblazoned with his or her coat of arms. At a considerably smaller scale, to the back of the stall is affixed a piece of brass (a "stall plate") displaying its occupant's name, arms and date of admission into the Order. Upon the death of a Knight, the banner, helm, mantling and crest are taken down. The stall plates, however, are not removed; rather, they remain permanently affixed somewhere about
1600-642: Is mentioned in the novels From Russia, with Love and On Her Majesty's Secret Service , and on-screen in his obituary in Skyfall . He was offered appointment as KCMG (which would have elevated him from Companion to Knight Commander in the Order) in The Man with the Golden Gun , but he rejected the offer as he did not wish to become a public figure. Judi Dench 's character "M" is "offered" early retirement as
1680-569: Is nobody to cross. Barrow also warned David Cameron that relations with the United Kingdom would be damaged if Ashcroft were given a senior position in government. In 1984 Ashcroft formed Belize Holdings (BHI). In 1987, BHI led the formation of Belize Bank Holdings (BBH), which took control of Belize Bank from the Royal Bank of Canada . Belize Bank has become the country's largest financial institution, controlling some 50 per cent of
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#17327917338951760-737: Is not a member of the College of Arms , like many other heraldic officers. The Usher of the Order is known as the Gentleman or Lady Usher of the Blue Rod . Blue Rod does not, unlike the usher of the Order of the Garter , perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Members of the Order wear elaborate regalia on important occasions (such as coronations ), which vary by rank: At less important occasions, simpler insignia are used: Prior to 2011,
1840-539: Is rare in British psephology . Lord Ashcroft Polls' results are freely available online and are frequently discussed in various media outlets. In 2013, Ashcroft stated that he has given tens of millions of pounds to good causes over the years. In May 2013, he pledged to donate more than half of his money to good causes, and became a signatory of The Giving Pledge . Ashcroft is the founder and chairman of Crimestoppers . On 12 October 2009, Ashcroft pledged NZ$ 50,000 for
1920-449: The 2004 federal election . It was, at the time, the biggest single private donation in Australian political history. He also made donations of $ 250,000 to the party on 28 July 2010 and in September 2013. Developing from work he did for the Conservative Party in his Deputy chairman role, since 2010. Lord Ashcroft has been a major independent public pollster of British political opinion. This has included polling at constituency level, which
2000-709: The Mediterranean ". In 1864, however, the protectorate ended and the Ionian Islands became part of Greece . A revision of the basis of the Order in 1868, saw membership granted to those who "hold high and confidential offices within Her Majesty 's colonial possessions, and in reward for services rendered to the Crown in relation to the foreign affairs of the Empire". Accordingly, nowadays, almost all Governors-General and Governors feature as recipients of awards in
2080-589: The Napoleonic Wars , and it was subsequently extended to holders of similar office or position in other territories of the British Empire . It is at present awarded to men and women who hold high office or who render extraordinary or important non-military service to the United Kingdom in a foreign country, and it can also be conferred for important or loyal service in relation to foreign and Commonwealth affairs. The three classes of appointment to
2160-667: The Prime Minister had called for the process to be concluded in time for the next general election , due by mid-2010. Liberal Democrat Lord Oakeshott stated: "Democracy is in danger if Lord Ashcroft has been pouring millions into Conservative campaigns through an offshore pipeline from a Caribbean tax haven ." However, in March 2010 sources from the Electoral Commission described the donations as being "legal and permissible". On 1 March 2010, Ashcroft said that he
2240-526: The 1980s it was taken over by a company associated with Michael Ashcroft, then some years later sold to Yorkshire bus manufacturer Plaxton . Long-established Plaxton took the Henlys name in March 1992, sold the motor business in 1997 and with the freed capital became a major player in the bus and coach business in North America. Henlys Group, previously known as Plaxton, found it was unable to service
2320-581: The Archangel, and St. George , patron saint of England and of soldiers . One of its primary symbols is that of St Michael trampling over and subduing Satan in battle. The Order is the sixth-most senior in the British honours system , after The Most Noble Order of the Garter , The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle , The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick , The Most Honourable Order of
2400-618: The Bath , and The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India . The third of the aforementioned Orders—which relates to Ireland, no longer fully a part of the United Kingdom—still exists but is in disuse; no appointments have been made to it since 1936. The last of the Orders on the list, related to India, has also been in disuse since that country's independence in 1947. The Prince Regent founded
2480-607: The British Leyland brands Henlys distributed Ford, Renault and Talbot. By 1984 takeover bids were in the air. In August 1984 Michael Ashcroft 's Midepsa subsidiary, Coleman Milne, reported it held 59.8 per cent of Henly's shares. Henlys was bought by the Lord Ashcroft backed Hawley Goodall, owners of Coleman Milne , the makers of funeral hearses . The bid was made via a Canadian-based company part-owned by David Wickins of British Car Auctions . On completion of
Michael Ashcroft - Misplaced Pages Continue
2560-538: The Coalition." Although voters may have liked Coalition government, "the two parties are no longer trying to pretend that they are governing together" and Cameron seems unwilling to celebrate midterm successes. "Ashcroft, who has been against it all along, looks like getting his way." Ashcroft became the largest donor to the Conservative's candidate for the 2021 London mayoral election . Of the £255,000 raised by
2640-759: The Conservative Party failed to gain an overall majority in the general election ; leading to the Conservatives forming the Coalition government with the Liberal Democrats . He was replaced by the MP Michael Fallon . In 2012, The Daily Telegraph credited Ashcroft, owner of both the ConservativeHome and PoliticsHome website with "stopping the Coalition working", by moving policy on Europe, welfare, education and taxation to
2720-486: The English academy programme. He became the main backer, along with Stephan Shakespeare (CEO and co-Founder of YouGov ) of Flooved, an education technology startup. He has provided a copy of Britain's Treasure Islands to every secondary school in the UK and its overseas territories. Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George
2800-529: The Henlys bid, which was raised to £247 million, but the Dennis board ultimately accepted Mayflower's £268.9 million offer. The next year Henlys announced they were planning to spend up to £100 million on acquisitions, the money intended to be spent on the acquisition of Dennis, in order to expand its bus building activities in the US. After discussions with several companies, Henlys purchased Blue Bird ,
2880-560: The Ionian Islands ; now, however, Grand Masters are chosen by the Sovereign. Grand Masters include: The Order originally included 15 Knights Grand Cross, 20 Knights Commanders, and 25 Companions but has since been expanded and the current limits on membership are 125, 375, and 1,750 respectively. Members of the royal family who are appointed to the Order do not count towards the limit, nor do foreign members appointed as "honorary members". The Order has six officers. The Order's King of Arms
2960-647: The North American market. As a result of the acquisition, Bermuda -registered Hawley changed its name to ADT Inc. and decided to refocus its business around security services. At the end of 1987, the company sold its North American-based facility services business to Denmark 's ISS A/S . In 1987, Ashcroft bought out the existing shareholders of Wickins' BCA via Hawley Goodall. Based at Blackbushe Airport to allow Wickins access to his treasured aviation division, which flew both Jet Ranger helicopters and Beechcraft King Air turbo prop aircraft, Ashcroft, who has
3040-405: The Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: It is used to honour individuals who have rendered important services in relation to Commonwealth or foreign nations. People are appointed to the Order rather than awarded it. British Ambassadors to foreign nations are regularly appointed as KCMGs, DCMGs, or CMGs. For example, the former British Ambassador to the United States, Sir David Manning ,
3120-552: The Order to commemorate the British amical protectorate over the Ionian Islands , which had come under British control in 1814 and had been granted their own constitution as the United States of the Ionian Islands in 1817. It was intended to reward "natives of the Ionian Islands and of the island of Malta and its dependencies, and for such other subjects of His Majesty as may hold high and confidential situations in
3200-696: The Order's chapel has been in St Paul's Cathedral in London. (The cathedral also serves as home to the chapels of the Order of the British Empire and the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor .) Religious services for the whole Order are held quadrennially; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. The Sovereign and the Knights and Dames Grand Cross are allotted stalls in
3280-528: The Royal Navy, particularly in its international role, and to the welfare of its service families. Long-time Doctor Who companion Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart wore the ribbon of the order as the highest of his decorations. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of St Michael and St George . Henlys Group Henlys Group PLC was a major London motor distributor and dealer founded in 1917 in London's Great Portland Street. In
Michael Ashcroft - Misplaced Pages Continue
3360-423: The US school bus manufacturer, for £267 million. This prompted speculation that Volvo might bid for Henlys. Henlys raised £111 million in a rights issue in order to fund the acquisition. In August 2000, with continuing domestic sales difficulties, a joint venture was formed with Mayflower, now owners of the Dennis and Alexander brands. The joint venture, known as TransBus International , included only
3440-454: The United Kingdom bus manufacturing operations, including Plaxton and Northern Counties . Henlys held a 30 percent stake in the joint venture, which employed 3,300 employees at seven locations. The traditional brands of Alexander, Dennis and Plaxton were replaced by TransBus International . TransBus International went into administration on 31 March 2004. TransBus Plaxton (Henlys) was sold to its managers, Brian Davidson and Mike Keane with
3520-448: The United States, it was the old North American cleaning business of ISS that Ashcroft had sold to them when refocusing Hawley in 1987. Bought in 1997 for $ 1, he agreed the sale of the company at a value of £179m. In March 2006, he became the major shareholder in English professional football club Watford , owning up to 42% of the club's shares. In September 2006, he accepted a bid for British Car Auctions (BCA) worth £450m, netting him
3600-706: The badge is suspended from the collar. All collars which have been awarded since 1948 must be returned to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood . The other insignia may be retained. The original home of the Order was the Palace of St. Michael and St. George in Corfu , the residence of the Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands and the seat of the Ionian Senate. Since 1906,
3680-471: The candidate, Shaun Bailey , Ashcroft donated £100,000. In 2022, he published a book about the wife of the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson , Carrie Symonds , to whom he attributed a negative influence on her husband. On 31 March 2000, Ashcroft was appointed as a life peer , and the title Baron Ashcroft , of Chichester in the County of West Sussex was gazetted on 20 October 2000, the last creation of
3760-582: The chairman's catalogue of their wartime activities given to shareholders in January 1946: assembly of 25,000 army vehicles of all types, repairs and maintenance of all types of service vehicles. In addition providing nearly 250,000 tank and aircraft assemblies and parts, repair or dismantling of 1,000 aircraft, handling over 80,000 tanks and packing more than a million spare parts. In 1946 Henlys distributed Armstrong Siddeley, Austin, Bentley, Jaguar, Riley, Rolls-Royce and Rover cars along with Studebaker vehicles for
3840-413: The choir of the chapel, above which their heraldic devices are displayed. Perched on the pinnacle of a knight's stall is his helm, decorated with a mantling and topped by his crest. Under English heraldic law, women other than monarchs do not bear helms or crests; instead, the coronet appropriate to the dame's rank, if there is one, is used. Above the crest or coronet, the stall's occupant's heraldic banner
3920-519: The combined holdings of Hawley and BCA in Cope Allman amounted to 43.5%, giving them the power to introduce sweeping changes without launching a full bid. Cope Allman was eventually sold to an MBO backed by Hawley and financed by Bain Capital , and then sold to Bowater in 1992 in a complex swap of assets with ADT/Hawley. In 1985 Ashcroft and Wickins bought car sales dealership Henlys Group via
4000-561: The day after the prorogation of Parliament ahead of the 2015 general election , he announced his resignation from the House of Lords with immediate effect, stating he would continue in politics. Ashcroft allegedly gave the People's United Party in Belize $ 1m when it was in opposition. During its period in power, it introduced laws that are claimed by opponents and media commentators to be financially advantageous to Ashcroft. Ashcroft has become
4080-561: The debt taken on for its North American expansion, liquidated what it could and closed its business in 2004. Frank Hough (1888-1935) —who also had his own motor business in Walsall which he had started in 1909— and Herbert Gerald Henly (1891-1973) began business in 1917 as car dealers at 89 Great Portland Street , London . When their private company was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1928 they claimed to have one of
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#17327917338954160-410: The devil was portrayed with black skin while St Michael was shown as being white; this was changed that year to show both with same skin colour, although St Michael's wings were changed from being multi-colour to being pure white. The alleged racism of this imagery has resulted in the government of Jamaica suspending the use of the badge entirely. In June 2020, calls were made for a complete redesign of
4240-498: The early part of the year, it bought Crime Control Inc. based in Indianapolis, for $ 50 million, placing the company in fourth place in the U.S. security market. Later in the year it bought ADT Security Services , the largest electronic security company in the United States. This purchase transformed Hawley into the leading security services business in the United States, and resulted in the majority of its revenues coming from
4320-418: The entire company must be launched. Ashcroft and Cope Allman fought bitterly over the purchase share price and current holdings, with Cope Allman reporting Ashcroft and Wickins to the Takeover panel , after discovering that BCA had built up a 13.5% in the company. But the takeover panel found that Ashcroft and Wickins were operating independently, so Hawley was able to increase its holding to 29.9%. At this point
4400-484: The former are written out in their fullest forms. Furthermore, honorary (foreign) members and clergymen do not receive the accolade and thus are not entitled to use the prefix "Sir" or "Dame". Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal "GCMG"; Knights Commanders and Dames Commanders use "KCMG" and "DCMG" respectively; Companions use "CMG". Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to receive heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with
4480-410: The general rule of honours, that a husband never derives any style or title from his wife.) Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders prefix "Sir", and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commanders prefix "Dame", to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix "Lady" to their surnames, but husbands of Dames derive no title from their wives. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when the names of
4560-511: The insignia, including from Sir Michael Palin of Monty Python fame, a Knight Commander of the Order In July, the Cabinet Office announced that officers of the Order who were unhappy with their insignia could exchange them for one of the newer models. On certain collar days designated by the Sovereign, members attending formal events may wear the Order's collar over their military uniform or morning wear. When collars are worn (either on collar days or on formal occasions such as coronations),
4640-461: The largest retail motor organisations in the country. It carried on business in London and Manchester dealing in "new and second hand cars of all descriptions". Showrooms and petrol stations gave the Henlys name to Henlys Corner , the junction of the North Circular Road , A1 and Finchley Road in Hampstead Garden Suburb and to Henlys Roundabout at the start of the A30 ( at the A4 ) at Hounslow West / Cranford. The business's scale may be gauged by
4720-438: The market. BBH developed local and international interests in facilities services, finance and telecommunications. Belize Bank itself formerly held a majority stake in Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), until it was nationalised by the Government of Belize. Ashcroft also has significant interests in the following companies quoted on the Alternative Investment Market : Restore plc , WeAre20:20 and Impellam Group. Having attempted
4800-453: The millennium. He was nominated by Conservative party leader William Hague on the condition that he became a UK resident, although at the beginning of 2010 he announced his "non-domiciled" tax status. Ashcroft had announced that he intended to take the title "Baron Ashcroft of Belize", a suggestion that infuriated his political opponents. He later said this had been a joke, and his title was created as simply "Baron Ashcroft". On 31 March 2015,
4880-418: The order, typically as Knights or Dames Grand Cross. In 1965 the order was opened to women, with Evelyn Bark becoming the first female CMG in 1967. The British sovereign is the Sovereign of the Order and appoints all other members of the Order (by convention, on the advice of the Government). The next-most senior member is the Grand Master. The office was formerly filled by the Lord High Commissioner of
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#17327917338954960-504: The plane suffered extensive damage. He owns two 150-foot (46 m) yachts, both registered in Belize: In the UK, he was a major donor to and Treasurer of the Conservative Party from 1998 to 2001, under William Hague . His tenure was marked by a number of controversies: he was seen to pay little UK income tax because of his domicile in Belize, and he was at the centre of a debate about openness and accountability of political funding. Unsubstantiated speculation about his business affairs
5040-692: The right. Prior to the 2010 election, Cameron gave Ashcroft a large office and a significant role in the election campaign but he received no reward in the form of ministerial job. Although claiming not to exercise editorial control, Ashcroft, a "brutal critic of the Coalition from the start" has established "megaphone presence" in the online media and the Lib Dems are described as blocking economic and welfare system reforms. The parties have separate and contradictory agendas and—as exemplified by Michael Gove 's education reforms intended for Tory ears only'-do not even consult each other. Cameron's philosophy of liberal conservatism has been destroyed by "coordinated attacks on
5120-546: The safe return of two-year-old toddler Aisling Symes. Aisling had gone missing a week earlier in West Auckland , New Zealand. In 2022, Ashcroft issued a £100,000 reward in the search for the gunman who killed Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool . Ashcroft was the Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University from November 2001 to January 2021. He donated £5 million in 1999 for the university's business school at Chelmsford , formerly called Lord Ashcroft International Business School , and another £5 million gift in 2009 to create
5200-678: The stall, so that the stalls of the chapel are festooned with a colourful record of the Order's Knights and Dames Grand Cross since 1906. The reredos within the chapel was commissioned from Henry Poole in 1927. Members of the Order of St Michael are assigned positions in the order of precedence in England and Wales . Wives of male members also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders; relatives of female members, however, are not assigned any special precedence. (Individuals can derive precedence from their fathers or husbands, but not from their mothers or wives. This follows
5280-424: The support of a private equity group. Henlys hoped to preserve their North American operations which had strong order books. However, servicing debt had placed too heavy a burden on those businesses. The North American operations were restructured, including closure of the Nova Bus factory in Roswell, New Mexico . In May 2004 a new chairman, David James , was appointed to help rescue Henlys. In June 2004 it
5360-429: The takeover, Hawley Goodall formed a Motoring Division comprising Henlys and Coleman Milne . In 1989, Hawley Goodall sold its Motoring Division consisting of Henlys and Coleman Milne to the Plaxton Group, the bus and coach manufacturer based in Scarborough , North Yorkshire . In May 1992, the Plaxton Group PLC was renamed Henlys Group PLC. Coleman Milne was sold to a management buy-out in late 1992. Henlys pursued
5440-407: The various post-nominals stand for. From Series 2, Episode 2 "Doing the Honours": Woolley : In the service, CMG stands for "Call Me God". And KCMG for "Kindly Call Me God". Hacker : What does GCMG stand for? Woolley (deadpan): "God Calls Me God". Ian Fleming's spy, James Bond , a commander in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR), was fictionally decorated as a CMG in 1953. This
5520-406: The whole of England and those of the Willys Overland Corporation including their famous Jeep. When Herbert Henly died in 1973 a brief obituary in The Times reported the business he had helped found ran 110 petrol stations, works departments and showrooms throughout Britain. Henlys expanded by natural growth and by acquisition of major competitors. By 1981 car sales and profits were down. Aside from
5600-448: Was Uni-Kleen – a loss-making cleaning company with 1,000 employees, which he purchased for just £1 in 1974, with a £15,000 bank loan (equivalent to £200,000 in 2023). He worked to turn the company around, selling it just three years later for £1.3 million. On exiting Uni-Kleen in 1977, his next purchase was Hawley Goodall , another poorly performing company, this time in camping equipment manufacture. Ashcroft used Hawley to make
5680-458: Was amongst the directors who appointed lawyer David Boies to investigate irregularities in the company. Ashcroft has close business and other connections with the Commonwealth country of Belize, and served as the country's ambassador to the United Nations between 1998 and 2000. In 2009, the Prime Minister of Belize Dean Barrow told its parliament: Ashcroft is an extremely powerful man. His net worth may well be equal to Belize's entire GDP. He
5760-520: Was announced that a restructuring of Henlys would leave the shares with little or no value, and that Henlys' problems were caused by paying too high a price for the Blue Bird business in 1999. Henlys' shares were delisted from the Stock Exchange. In October 2004 the Blue Bird operations were restructured with Volvo and creditor banks taking over the Henlys share. Volvo also took over
5840-512: Was appointed a CMG when he worked for the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and then after his appointment as British Ambassador to the US, he was promoted to a Knight Commander (KCMG). It is the traditional award for members of the FCO. The Order's motto is Auspicium melioris ævi ( Latin for "Token of a better age"). Its patron saints, as the name suggests, are St. Michael
5920-644: Was born in Chichester , West Sussex. His father Eric was a British colonial civil servant; Ashcroft spent some of his early years in British Honduras (now Belize ) and Malawi . He was educated at Norwich School , Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe , and Mid-Essex Technical College (now Anglia Ruskin University) , where he obtained a Higher National Diploma in Business studies . Following
6000-455: Was bought by the UK-based investment banking arm of private bank Samuel Montagu & Co. , a division of HSBC , personally netting Ashcroft over £200 million. In 1997, ADT was sold by a reverse takeover to US conglomerate Tyco International for $ 6.7 billion, allowing Tyco to become tax-efficient. Ashcroft disposed of large amounts of the Tyco stock which he had acquired as
6080-518: Was concluded when he pursued a libel action against The Times . This was settled on 9 December 1999, when The Times issued a front-page statement saying "The Times is pleased to confirm that it has no evidence that Mr Ashcroft or any of his companies have ever been suspected of money-laundering or drug-related crimes... Litigation between the parties has been settled to mutual satisfaction, with each side bearing its own costs." In 2004, he clashed with Conservative leader Michael Howard when he offered
6160-466: Was created a life peer in 2000, and sat on the Conservative benches of the House of Lords until resigning in 2015. The Cabinet Office stated that he would take up permanent residence in the UK for tax purposes, but it was reported a decade later that he had not done so. Ashcroft holds dual British and Belizean nationality, and is a belonger of the Turks and Caicos Islands . Michael Anthony Ashcroft
6240-501: Was named by the Conservative Party as having lent it £3.6m. Significant donations made to the Conservative Party by Bearwood Corporate Services, a company controlled by Ashcroft, have also come under scrutiny. The trading status of the company, and thus the validity of donations totalling £5.1m between 2003 and 2008, is unclear and became the subject of an investigation by the Electoral Commission begun in October 2008. Both Labour MPs and
6320-503: Was not domiciled in the UK for tax purposes. On 4 March 2010 the House of Commons Public Administration select committee decided to hold a "special one-off inquiry" into Ashcroft's peerage and his tax affairs. The committee's three Conservative MPs are said to have refused to take part in the inquiry. In September 2010, Ashcroft announced he would be stepping down as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party. His resignation came as he published Minority Verdict, his critical analysis of why
6400-468: Was reported just before Christmas 1997. In February 1998, Prévost acquired Nova Bus , a city bus manufacturer for the Canadian and US market. In July 1998 Henlys made an agreed (with Dennis) bid of £190 million for bus and utility vehicle maker Dennis . A hostile bidding war ensued with engineering group Mayflower, owners of Scottish bus builder Walter Alexander . Volvo lent its support to
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