Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwrateng has claimed that the Prime Minister "needs to take some responsibility" for the chaos surrounding the Conservative Party election campaign.
His intervention comes after it emerged the Conservatives' director of campaigning is that latest party official being looked into by the Gambling Commission over an alleged bet relating to the timing of the general election.
The polls have consistently predicted low figures for the Tory Party and have indicated that it is likely that Labour will get into power in just two weeks time.
Speaking to GB News, Kwarteng said that the "buck stops" with Sunak and he "needs to take some responsibility" for the state the Tories find themselves in.
Kwasi Kwarteng blasted Rishi Sunak
GB News
He told Camilla Tominey on GB News: "Look, I'm trying to be nuanced. You can't put 100 per cent of the blame on him. But he's the leader. If you suffer a massive defeat. Clearly the leader is very much responsible for that."
He added: "Obviously there were other mistakes done by other leaders, but he at the top."
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Camilla asked him about the "madness" of Sunak calling the snap election, despite the low polling figure.
The ex-Chancellor said: "I could see why he did it, but as it turned out, it looks like it might could well, backfire."
He explained: "It's not a good look. Well, there'll be there'll be lots of recriminations. If we do lose that badly, there'll be lots of debate.
"People will be blaming each other. Everyone will be blaming everyone else. But the leader has to take responsibility. The leader of the party has to take some responsibility."
Rishi Sunak announced that there will be an election next month
GB NEWSCamilla asked the former minister: "Does he have to take responsibility vicariously for this betting fiasco? I mean, what you've worked inside number ten and number 11, what on earth is going on when you've got senior Tory people prioritising making a few quid on the side, allegedly by placing wagers rather than fighting for their political life?"
He responded: "Bizarre. I thought it was very childish, very juvenile and not serious.
"It was so incredibly stupid because, I mean, how did they not think there might be caught?"
Kwasi Kwarteng spoke to Camilla on GB News
GB News
"I think a lot of it is driven by the leadership, the culture," he added "Lots of Rishi fanboys. I'm old fashioned.
"Harry Truman used to have a sign on his desk when he was president. The buck stops here. I think there's a sense in which, and I said this about Boris, I've said this about Liz, whoever that is there's ultimate responsibility for what happens under their watch.
"Sometimes it might be unfair. Maybe he didn't know what was going on. But as the leader of an organisation, your character, your job is to impose some sort of discipline on the institution."
