BBC pulls Lord Ashcroft exposé

The BBC last night pulled an edition of Panorama on the financial affairs of Conservative Party deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft just hours before it was due to be broadcast.

The programme, which was scheduled to air on Monday night on BBC One, was put on hold after an objection from the billionaire Tory benefactor, who has been at the centre of a political row about his former status as a tax exile.

According to the corporation, more information about a share interest transfer emerged before the programme was due to be broadcast, which led to it being pulled.

After the BBC recently posed a number of questions to Lord Ashcroft, one of the responses came back yesterday that "shed new light" on his financial affairs. The BBC therefore decided to put the programme on hold to further review its contents.

Monday night's Panorama was replaced with another edition of the programme about military justice in the UK.

A BBC spokesman said: "We put a number of questions to Lord Ashcroft two weeks ago, including one relating to a share interest transfer.

"We asked for a response by September 24. In a response received (on Monday) afternoon we have been given information that sheds new light on that issue and we will therefore review the programme."