For the second time this year Michael Ashcroft has silenced the BBC's Panorama programme which was due to transmit this evening with a forensic investigation into the peer’s finances.

A BBC spokesman has explained why the programme was pulled:

"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 Friday 24 September. A response was received this afternoon. (Sunday) We have been given information that sheds new light on that issue and we will therefore review the programme."

If the BBC had indeed made a mistake about “an easily checkable fact” why did Ashcroft’s lawyers wait until yesterday before protesting?

This is classic Ashcroft – at the very last moment, he throws dust into the eyes of those pursuing him.

We know he escaped full UK taxes for a decade, claiming non dom status despite a solemn and binding promise to William Hague that he would become a UK permanent resident by the end of the year 2000 – the year he was ennobled.  We also know this never happened.  Instead he secretly sheltered under the mantle of “long term resident” saving himself a fortune in tax.  What exactly did the (then) Inland Revenue know about these manoeuvrings?

What does it take to get an investigation by HMRC into Ashcroft’s tax affairs? After all, he is a full UK taxpayer now.

At least, we think so.