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Investigators check bookmakers on all wagers over £20 as Tory betting scandal worsens

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Investigators check bookmakers on all wagers over £20 as Tory betting scandal worsens

Tory election betting probe: ‘Totally unacceptable’ if rules broken says Welsh secretary

The inquiry into bets on the date of the general election has been widened with bookmakers being asked to provide details on all bets over £20, it’s been reported.

Sky News says the Gambling Commission has written to leading bookmakers to get information on bets placed days before Rishi Sunak announced the election would take place on 4 July.

The broadcaster’s chief political correspondent Jon Craig also said that the watchdog’s early investigation had brought to light “many more people”.

The Gambling Commission is looking at bets made in the days before Mr Sunak gave the date of the election on 22 May.

On Saturday night, The Sunday Times reported that Tory data chief Nick Mason was being investigated, becoming the fourth Conservative to be probed on the issue. Mr Mason denies any wrongdoing.

Home Secretary James Cleverly told the BBC he had no knowledge of ministers placing bets on the timing of the election.

He told GB News: “My view has always been the case that people in government should focus on delivering for the people of this country.

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ICYMI: Fourth UK Conservative Party official reportedly investigated in widening election betting scandal

The chief data officer of Britain’s Conservative Party has taken a leave of absence, British media reported Sunday, following growing allegations that the governing party’s members have been using inside information to bet on the date of Britain’s July 4 national election.

The Sunday Times and others reported that Nick Mason is the fourth Conservative official to be investigated by the U.K.’s Gambling Commission for allegedly betting on the timing of the election before the date had been announced.

Matt Mathers23 June 2024 18:00

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Poll shows Rishi Sunak to hold his seat despite fears

A new poll has shown that Rishi Sunak could hold onto his seat despite fears a potentially disastrous general election could cost him his constituency.

Tom Watling23 June 2024 17:45

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Cooper: Tory aide was right to call Rwanda scheme ‘crap’

Daisy Cooper has echoed parliamentary aide James Sutherland’s comment that the Rwanda scheme is “crap”, describing it as a “gimmick”, “unworkable” and “immoral”.

Speaking to the PA news agency at a Liberal Democrat campaign event in Harpenden, the deputy leader of the party said: “The Liberal Democrats have always maintained that the Rwanda scheme is just a gimmick, it has been horribly expensive for taxpayers.

“It’s completely unworkable. And we believe that it’s immoral as well.

“It’s unbelievable that the Conservative government has already spent £290 million on this scheme, that amount of money alone could have paid for nearly seven million GP appointments.

“So, Liberal Democrats would reinstate safe and legal routes so that genuine asylum seekers can apply to come to this country in a safe way.

“We would scrap the Rwanda scheme and reinvest that money into the Home Office so we can tackle the backlog and get those claims down.”

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper during a campaign visit to Farncombe, in the Godalming and Ash constituency
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper during a campaign visit to Farncombe, in the Godalming and Ash constituency (Will Durrant/PA Wire)

Tom Watling23 June 2024 17:25

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Top James Cleverly aide describes Rwanda deportation plan as ‘crap’

James Sunderland, Tory candidate for Bracknell and the home secretary’s parliamentary private secretary, said he has been immersed in the policy for two years, repeatedly calling it “crap”.

Matt Mathers23 June 2024 17:00

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If the EU learnt the lessons of the Habsburg empire then Brexit might not have happened, says descendant

When Eduard Habsburg-Lothringen was at school, his history teacher would be going through an episode in Europe’s chronicles and note: “That’s something Mr Habsburg surely knows about.”

He would be referring to the many events linked to the 850-year history of the Habsburg empire which touched almost every corner of Europe right up until the end of the First World War.

Matt Mathers23 June 2024 16:30

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Meet Rishi Sunak’s Labour Party opponent who hopes to bring the PM down

Tom Wilson is the 29-year-old Labour candidate running against Rishi Sunak in Richmond and Northallerton who, according to polls last week, could be the first electoral “king killer” – in that he may be the first person to defeat a sitting prime minister in a general election.

Matt Mathers23 June 2024 16:00

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Reform UK overtakes Tories among GB News viewers

Reform UK has overtaken the Conservatives and has moved into second place among GB News viewers as the party preferred to form the next government.

A new poll carried out by JL Partners shows that the Labour Party is still the top choice among viewers and is holding a 13-point lead.

Labour was supported by 38 per cent of people polled, which was down 8 points on the previous poll carried out in late May.

Reform are up 7 points on 25 per cent, 1 point ahead of the Conservative Party on 24 per cent.

The Liberal Democrats are up 2 points to 8 per cent and the Green Party up 1 point on 3 per cent.

Matt Mathers23 June 2024 15:20

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Watch: Labour’s Bridget Phillipson sends message to JK Rowling after author accuses party of ‘abandoning’ women

Bridget Phillipson sends message to JK Rowling after ‘abandoning’ women comment

Labour’s Bridget Phillipson sent a message to JK Rowling after the Harry Potter author accused the party of “abandoning women.” The writer and former Labour donor said she would struggle to vote for Sir Keir Starmer, saying she had a “poor opinion” of his character and the party because of its stance on transgender rights. Appearing on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on 23 June, Ms Phillipson said she would tell Ms Rowling: “It’s also very personal to me. I want to make sure that women get the support and the justice that they deserve, and that we do make sure that we’ve got services that are available for women around rape and sexual violence.”

Matt Mathers23 June 2024 15:04

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Betting scandal shows there’s ‘no leadership’ at top of Tory party, former MP says

The betting scandal shows there is “no leadership” at the top of the Tory party and “confirms” Rishi Sunak has failed to uphold “standards in public life,” a former MP has said.

Anne Milton, former MP and ex-Conservative whip, told Times Radio: “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. As you say, it’s a shame people have to be reminded, but it would appear that they do have to be reminded how to behave.”

Asked if people should be suspended while the investigations are ongoing she said: “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.”

Matt Mathers23 June 2024 14:49

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Gambling Commission investigating ‘many’ other individuals in betting probe

The Gambling Commission is investigating “many” other individuals who bet on the July election, according to a report.

The GC wrote to all gambling companies requesting details of any individual who placed more than £20 days before Rishi Sunak called the election for 4 July, after Craig Williams was revealed to be the first Tory under investigation.

“It is a tried and trusted investigatory process”, a source told ITV’s Robert Peston. “It is pretty straightforward to work out who might have had access to privileged information about the timing of the election and to identify their mates”.

Matt Mathers23 June 2024 14:28

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