Rishi Sunak faces mounting pressure to suspend all those under investigation for placing bets on the date of the election and to launch a Cabinet Office inquiry, as accusations implicate more senior Conservatives in the betting scandal.
The Conservatives are facing a significant crisis after it was revealed that their campaign director, Tony Lee, has taken a “leave of absence” amidst an investigation into gambling allegations involving election polling dates.
Recent polls suggest that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to lose his seat in Richmond, North Yorkshire, potentially making him the first sitting PM to do so, as the Conservative Party faces a historic defeat with a predicted seat count of between 108 and 53, leaving Labour poised for a substantial majority.
Penny Mordaunt has issued a call for unity within the Conservative Party, acknowledging that they are currently the underdogs in the upcoming election.
Rishi Sunak has tried to reassure Conservative Party members following a YouGov poll indicating that Reform UK has surpassed them in support, with Nigel Farage challenging Sunak to a one-on-one debate and warning that a vote for his party could inadvertently benefit Labour by reducing Conservative votes.
Sir Keir Starmer has declared that Labour is now the “party of wealth creation” and no longer the “party of tax and spend”, promising economic growth and no personal tax rises, although the IFS has accused him of “conspiracy of silence” on spending, as the Conservatives face a challenge from Farage’s Reform UK party.
The Independent reports on Rishi Sunak’s Tory manifesto, likening it to Liz Truss’s failed mini budget.
According to a new poll, Tory supporters favour Nigel Farage to succeed Rishi Sunak as the party leader, with many fearing the Conservative Party is at risk of extinction.
The Treasury has refuted Rishi Sunak’s claim that families will face a £2,000 tax increase under Labour’s taxation plan, with civil servants denying the figures were sourced from the Treasury and Labour accusing the Prime Minister of falsehoods.
Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, has announced his intention to replace the Conservative Party in British politics, vowing to bring a ‘revolution’ as he launched his campaign in Clacton amid being hit by a milkshake.