Rishi Sunak has admitted he is “incredibly angry” over the betting scandal that has engulfed the party’s top campaign team.
The prime minister faced tough questions on the furore that has hit his faltering election campaign on a BBC Question Time special on Thursday night, which also featured the leaders of Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP.
With just two weeks until polling day, a string of people with links to the Conservative Party or No 10 are caught up in allegations about gambling on the timing of the July 4 contest.
The prime minister said the incident left him “incredibly angry” but he refused to suspend two candidates currently being investigated by the Gambling Commission.
Conservative candidate Laura Saunders earlier on Thursday said she “will be co-operating with the Gambling Commission” probe.
It comes as a gambling industry source said “more names” were being looked at over alleged wagers placed on the date of the 4 July election – in a crisis set to deepen for the Tories.
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