Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Sunak 'incredibly angry' over election date betting scandal

“I was incredibly angry to learn of these allegations. It’s a really serious matter. It’s right that they’re being investigated properly,” Sunak said in a televised debate.

Sunak 'incredibly angry' over election date betting scandal

Rishi Sunak expressed his anger over allegations that three party colleagues placed bets on an early announcement of the general election.

On a turbulent day for the Conservatives, the party's campaign director took a leave of absence due to an investigation into bets on the election timing before it was officially announced.


"I was incredibly angry to learn of these allegations. It's a really serious matter. It's right that they're being investigated properly," Sunak said in a televised debate. "I want to be crystal clear that if anyone has broken the rules, they should face the full force of the law."

Polls suggest Britain may elect a centre-left Labour government led by Keir Starmer, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. Some polls indicate Sunak's party might face a historic defeat.

Allegations that a second Conservative candidate is under investigation by Britain's gambling regulator for possibly profiting from inside knowledge of the election timing is another setback for Sunak's efforts to remain in office.

The BBC reported the candidate is Laura Saunders, running for Bristol North West, and said her husband, campaign director Tony Lee, is also under investigation.

The Conservative Party announced its director of campaigning took a leave of absence on Wednesday.

Sunak said that anyone found breaking the rules should face the "full consequences of the law" and be "booted out" of the party.

Neither Lee nor Saunders was available for comment, and the gambling regulator did not name those being investigated. Placing bets with insider knowledge is a crime.

Another candidate has already apologised for betting on the election timing on July 4 before it was announced.

'Very tough'

British finance minister Jeremy Hunt said on Thursday it would be "very tough" for the Conservatives to win the election, as polls predict a landslide for Labour.

Asked at a Times newspaper event if the Conservatives could win, Hunt replied: "It's going to be very tough. I don't think any of us would pretend that is the most likely outcome. We can certainly do a lot better than the polls are suggesting and we are working very hard to do so."

According to a YouGov poll, Starmer is set to become prime minister with a 200-seat parliamentary majority, the largest for any party in a century. Another poll indicated Sunak might be the first British prime minister to lose his seat in a national election, with Hunt's seat also at risk.

The Conservatives were already trailing in polls when Sunak called the election, hoping economic improvements would narrow the gap with Labour. However, this has not happened, compounded by a problematic campaign start, including Sunak's rain-soaked election announcement and early departure from D-Day commemorations in France, which drew criticism.

(Reuters)

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less