General election 2024 latest: Keir Starmer calls on Sunak to suspend Tory betting scandal candidates immediately

Tory candidate for Bristol North West Laura Saunders who is facing a probe over allegedly betting on the timing of the election is considering legal action against the BBC.

Ms Saunders’s solicitor said on her behalf: “It is inappropriate to conduct any investigation of this kind via the media, and doing so risks jeopardising the work of the Gambling Commission and the integrity of its investigation.

“The publication of the BBC’s story is premature and is a clear infringement of Ms Saunders’ privacy rights. She is considering legal action against the BBC and any other publishers who infringe her privacy rights.”

Sir Charles Walker has said the recent opinion polls predicting an unprecedented Tory wipeout at the election make a “grim reading”.

The former Tory MP said: “Well my heart doesn’t leap does it, it makes grim reading. I thought we would be performing better this far into the campaign, I really did. I thought that the gap would be closing.

“I still think the gap will close. I think we’ll do, well we have to do significantly better than that. I’m still in it to win it, you have to be in it to win it because we have hundreds, thousands of activists knocking on doors and it would be completely disingenuous of me, no it would be wrong of me, not disingenuous, it would be wrong of me to come onto this programme and say ‘well it’s all over’ because I’m not knocking on doors, they’re the ones knocking on doors.”

He added: “But it looks really really bad”.

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The Alliance party has launched its general election policy proposals in the 43-page Leading Change manifesto document. Here are the main pledges at a glance:

• Stormont reform: Remove the veto power to block decisions, and even collapse the institutions, which is held by the biggest unionist and nationalist parties, which currently are the DUP and Sinn Fein.

• Finances: Securing a new financial deal for Northern Ireland, with an improved funding model for the allocation of Treasury resources to the region.

• Repairing UK-EU relations: A closer relationship with the EU and a negotiated agreement on veterinary medicines.

• Climate: Reform of government spending rules to free up funding to tackle climate change.

• Integrated education: A new injection of Government funding for the sector.

• Childcare: The party wants to see the Government increasing its 20% relief to 35% across the UK – with a cap on support also removed.

• Voting age and system: Drop the voting age from 18 to 16. The party is also calling for a directly elected House of Lords.

A part form the anticipated Euro 2024 England match, voters are looking forward to tonight’s BBC’s Question Time election special.

The televised debate will see leaders of four main parties answering intense questions from a live audience.

The line-up includes Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer, John Swinney and Sir Ed Davey who will have 30 minutes each to put up their cases.

An unusual spike of bets on a July poll preceded prime minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement of the UK general election, according to an analysis of public market data.

The Betfair Exchange data shows several thousand pounds wagered on the day before the 22 May announcement, when the odds implied a less than 25 per cent chance of an election being called for July, according to the Financial Times.

Up to £5,900 had been bet on the July election before 20 May, two days before the shock announcement by Rishi Sunak.

On 20 May, a further £689 was wagered, with £398 coming in one bet, posted in the mid afternoon at odds that would have netted the punter a £2,784 profit.

At midday, a bet was placed for £830 at odds that should deliver a £5,800 profit. An £850 bet, made at 4pm, should deliver an expected £2,562 profit.

It comes after a police officer in Rishi Sunak’s close protection team was arrested and suspended over alleged bets about the timing of the general election.

In a separate case last week, a senior aide to Mr Sunak admitted the betting watchdog was making inquiries after he reportedly placed a bet on the date of the general election.

Tory candidate Craig Williams, who was the prime minister’s Parliamentary Private Secretary in the last Parliament, placed a £100 bet just three days before Mr Sunak announced the election.

Former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has said Tory figures who are being looked into over allegations of betting on the date of the general election are “incredibly stupid and venal”.

He told The News Agents: “I just think it’s people being incredibly stupid and venal when they do that sort of thing.

“First of all, what the hell are they doing betting anyway the outcome of an election? They’re meant to fight it, not foresee what may happen. And don’t make money out of it…

“This is a vocation. So, if it is a vocation, you need to behave like it’s a vocation, and your job is to try and get your party back into government, it’s not to play games with it. So, that is unacceptable and whatever happens to them wouldn’t be hard enough in my book.”

He added that politicians lose the public’s trust “when we start playing games with where we think the future lies”.

“They absolutely hate that.”