Tories have 'no leadership from top' as General Election betting scandal deepens

Rishi Sunak has been accused of failing to grip the election date betting scandal engulfing his party just 11 days out from the General Election.

One ex-Tory whip said the allegations showed there "appears to be no leadership from the top" as the crisis deepened over the weekend. It emerged a fifth person linked to the Prime Minister - the party's chief data officer Nick Mason - was told he's part of an investigation by the Gambling Commission.

He has taken a leave of absence from Tory HQ amid allegations over alleged wagers on the election date. A spokesman for Mr Mason denied wrongdoing to The Sunday Times. Four other people - the party’s campaign chief, two candidates and a police protection officer - are also being looked into.

There were also reports on Sunday other individuals linked to either the Government or Conservative Party are being investigated - but the Commission declined to comment.

In a letter to the body's CEO on Sunday, Labour's National Campaign Coordinator Pat McFadden said it was in the public interest to make names of any other figures under investigation public. "There will be particular interest in whether any government ministers bet on the date of the election before it was called," he said.

Mr Sunak has so far failed to suspend officials and candidates linked to the allegations - despite calls from the Labour leader Keir Starmer. Speaking on Times Radio former Tory minister Anne Milton, who resigned in 2019, said: "It confirms views about the fact that the Conservative party hasn't upheld standards in public life. It's not behaved well. There appears to be no leadership from the top."

Asked whether people should be suspended, she replied: "Suspension is the right thing to do while people are investigated. It's harsh if people, if the allegations are found not to be true, but that is what would happen in any other sphere of work."

Sent out batting for the Tories today the Home Secretary said he was "not defending the actions" when grilled on whether it was a sign of a "moral decay" in the party. He told Sky News there was "no reason to believe" that any Cabinet Ministers had placed a bet on the election debate - but did not rule out the possibility.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said there was 'no reason to believe' that any Cabinet Ministers had placed a bet

Outgoing Tory Cabinet Minister Michael Gove also likened the betting fiasco to the Partygate scandal exposed by The Mirror. He said: "It looks like one rule for them and one rule for us. That's the most potentially damaging thing."

Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said there was "genuine disgust" among voters over the General Election betting allegations. Asked if she had ever put a bet on a political event, Ms Phillipson told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: "No, I don't think, it's only a few occasions in my life where I've ever gambled full stop, it's not really my thing.

"I don't think that's really the point. The issue here is that whether those people who had inside knowledge of what was going on used that information in placing a bet. People across the country will place bets, but I think there is genuine disgust amongst so many voters that what we're seeing here is pretty shocking behaviour.

"Rishi Sunak promised us that his Government would be different, he hasn't acted against candidates concerned, he should suspend them, and - as Michael Gove has said - this just reminds people of the worst excesses of the Conservatives over the last 14 years."

The Liberal Democrats called on Mr Sunak to intervene personally, with a Cabinet Office inquiry into the reports. Deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: "This is now an all-out scandal at the heart of Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party."

The debacle comes as the Tories brace for a historic defeat at the ballot next week. Ex-Tory Chancellor Philip Hammond said "many voters made up their mind by the autumn of 2022" after t both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. "The die was cast," he told the BBC. He also suggested the PM made a mistake in calling the July election, saying he would have liked to see the vote take place in the autumn.

The Gambling Commission added: "Currently the commission is investigating the possibility of offences concerning the date of the election. This is an ongoing investigation, and the commission cannot provide any further details at this time."