Tory campaign crisis plunges to new levels as fourth person now investigated over election bets
An investigation has been launched (file pic)
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The Conservative Party’s director of campaigning is being looked into by the Gambling Commission over an alleged bet relating to the timing of the general election.
Tony Lee, who reportedly took a leave of absence from his job yesterday afternoon, is married to the Conservative candidate who is also being looked into by the betting industry regulator.
Bristol North West candidate Laura Saunders, who is married to Lee, is being investigated by the gambling regulator, reports BBC News.
Rishi Sunak’s parliamentary aide Craig Williams as well as a police officer working in Rishi Sunak’s close protection team are also being investigated.
An investigation has been launched (file pic)
PA
A Conservative Party spokesman told the BBC: "We have been contacted by the Gambling Commission about a small number of individuals.
"As the Gambling Commission is an independent body, it wouldn’t be proper to comment further, until any process is concluded."
It comes as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on Laura Saunders to be suspended as a candidate. He told reporters: "This candidate should be suspended and it's very telling that Rishi Sunak has not already done that.
"If it was one of my candidates they'd be gone and their feet would not have touched the floor."
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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer during a visit to Persimmon Homes Germany Beck in York
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Speaking to reporters this morning, outgoing cabinet minister Michael Gove said: "Obviously, it doesn’t look great. And, obviously, the conclusions lots of people are drawing are not at all great.
"But I don’t know all the facts at the moment. I’d be loath to condemn without there being an investigation that’s been concluded."
Sir Keir added: "There’s a wider point here that you touched on, which is we’ve now had 14 years of chaos, of division, of politics being about self-entitlement, and politics needs to be about service, about public service.
"That is one of the choices now going into this election – more of this, or turn the page, rebuild the country and return politics to service, and that’s what I will do as Labour leader."
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who was campaigning in Sheffield, said: "It think it’s quite awful. The idea that you bet on something when you know the result, that is immoral, it is illegal, and I can’t believe people at the top of the Conservative Party are doing this and have allowed this to happen.
"This is corruption, frankly, and it needs to have a heavy hand from the top....we think there should be a Cabinet Office inquiry. I think the Gambling Commission will rightly look at this.
"I hope they come down heavy on those people who look like – I haven’t seen the details but they look like – they’ve acted illegally and immorally."
FULL LIST OF CANDIDATES STANDING IN BRISTOL NORTH WEST
- Caroline Gooch - Liberal Democrats
- Darren Jones - Labour Party
- Scarlett O'Connor - Reform UK
- Mary Page - Green Party
- Laura Saunders - Conservative and Unionist Party
- Ben Smith - Social Democratic Party