Top Tory skewered over betting scandal – as colleague says it is ‘past perception’
A Tory minister was skewered on live TV after scrambling to defend Rishi Sunak not having suspended candidates over allegedly betting on the date of the General Election.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris attempted to compare the situation to Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner remaining in post while they were investigated over breaking Covid rules and a tax row. But Sky presenter Matt Barbet pointed out that both of the Labour figures said they were innocent – and were found to be innocent – whereas one of the Tory candidates has already admitted they made a bet.
Four Tories – two officials and two candidates – are being probed by the Gambling Commission for alleged bets on the timing of the election. The officials have both taken a leave of absence from Tory HQ, while the candidates are still campaigning to serve as MPs in the next Parliament. A police officer in the PM’s close protection team has been suspended and was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over an alleged bet.
Mr Barbet asked Mr Heaton-Harris: “A couple of your officials, not candidates but officials have taken a leave of absence and the police officer accused of doing this has been suspended so why is it a different rule for Conservative Party electoral candidates?”
As Mr Heaton-Harris tried to compare it to probes into Mr Starmer and Ms Rayner, the presenter hit back: “But the difference here is one of the candidates have said: ‘I placed the bet’, haven’t they?” A defeated looking Mr Heaton-Harris – who is standing down at the election – responded: “The Gambling Commission are looking into that and we will act on what the Gambling Commission is saying.”
Separately a senior Tory took to the airwaves to break ranks to call for the suspension of the two candidates. Tobias Ellwood, the Tory candidate for Bournemouth East and an ex-MP, said the “public wants to see clear, robust action”. “This betting saga has been a deeply unhelpful, self-inflicted distraction and triggered by a few individuals. In what world they thought this was acceptable is beyond belief,” he said.
Asked if the PM should have suspended the two conservative candidates, Mr Ellwood said: “Well, given the scale of this, as we see now and the potential for this story to continue to eclipse, to overshadow in the election, I would now agree. I’m not sure anyone, including the Prime Minister could have predicted the number of people involved when the story first broke. The public wants to see clear, robust action now.”
He continued: “The Prime Minister has expressed his anger he showed that at the leaders’ Question Time debate as our candidates on the front line. Let’s be frank, it’s been a turbulent period in British politics in recent years with trust. Trust with the British people has had to be rebuilt, and the Prime Minister has navigated us into calmer political waters, fiscal responsibility has returned. So this is so frustrating with 10 days to go, we’ve got to get back on point. Let the Gambling Commission get on with their job. Anybody that’s broken the law should definitely be removed from the party.”
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 over the weekend. The party’s campaign chief Tony Lee and his wife Tory candidate Laura Saunders are also being probed. Tory candidate and parliamentary aide to the PM Craig Williams was the first to be publicly identified, with him admitting he made a bet.
