Lord Ashcroft misses his book launch due to ‘life-threatening’ illness

Lord Ashcroft, the co-author of 'Call Me Dave', a new and controversial biography about David Cameron, missed the book's launch party on Monday due to a "life-threatening" illness.

Guests attending the launch event in Westminster were told that Lord Ashcroft had been unwell over the past fortnight - facing renal failure, septic shock, liver and kidney failure - and spent 18 days in intensive care.

A number of famous faces attended the launch including Ukip leader Nigel Farage and economist Vicky Pryce.

Lord Ashcroft apologised for his absence on Twitter:

The highly contentious biography of the Prime Minister, written in partnership with journalist Isabel Oakeshott, contains a number of embarrassing claims about the PM's past.

It includes the allegations that Mr Cameron participated in a stunt while at Oxford University involving a dead pig and smoked marijuana. Those close to the Prime Minister have dismissed the claims as nonsense.

A spokeswoman for Lord Ashcroft said the Tory peer was now recovering and was "out of danger".