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

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.”

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”.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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”.

Using confidential information to gain an unfair advantage when betting may constitute a criminal offence.

Gamblers are not allowed to use inside information to place a bet or to instruct someone else to do so on their behalf.

Nick Mason, the party’s data chief, has taken a leave of absence after becoming the latest Tory to be reportedly investigated by the Gambling Commission for allegedly betting on the timing of the election before the date had been announced.