Rawnsley walks out on PoliticsHome.com after Ashcroft takeover

The political commentator Andrew Rawnsley, an associate editor of the Observer, has resigned as editor-in-chief of PoliticsHome.com after the website was sold to Lord Ashcroft (above), the Conservative party deputy chairman.

Lord Ashcroft, a significant donor to the Conservative party who holds Belizean as well as British nationality, will take a 57.5 per cent share in the website, which claims to offer "comprehensive, non-partisan coverage of the political day".

Rawnsley, whose book Servants of the People brought to prominence the feud between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, said: "I became editor-in-chief on the basis that PoliticsHome was dedicated to being a non-partisan site clearly independent of any party both editorially and financially.

"I do not believe that can be compatible with being under the ownership of the deputy chairman of the Conservative party." He will end his own financial interest in the company when he leaves.

Stephan Shakespeare, who founded PoliticsHome 18 months ago, will be chairman of a new company which will fold the website together with ConservativeHome, a successful Tory blog bought by Ashcroft last week.

Shakespeare rubbished the suggestion that PoliticsHome's neutrality would be compromised by the new arrangement. "PoliticsHome will of course remain strictly non-partisan in all aspects of its coverage, and readers can continue to have absolute confidence in its editorial independence," he said.

In reality, Westminster watchers will be intrigued to see how PoliticalHome covers the ongoing row over openness in political funding. Ashcroft has been a controversial figure in recent years and questions have been raised over his large donations to the Tory party and how they sit with his tax status - because the rules prevent British political parties from receiving donations from overseas. ·