Starmer says Sunak failed to ‘grasp nettle' on bet scandal

Sir Keir Starmer has taken aim at Rishi Sunak’s leadership ability over the election date betting scandal, accusing the prime minister of failing to grasp the nettle” and take action quickly enough.

- GEORDIE GREIG , DAVID MADDOX & KATE DEVLIN

The Labour leader’s taunts came on the day that Mr Sunak finally agreed to suspend the candidates, two weeks after the allegations first emerged.

The scandal continued to deepen yesterday after it was revealed that a Conservative politician in the Welsh parliament is being investigated over a bet on the timing of the general election. Russell George is the fifth Conservative to face inquiries by the Gambling Commission. Mr George has stepped back from the shadow cabinet and said he will cooperate with the investigation.

Meanwhile Scotland Yard confirmed that five more police officers were alleged to have placed bets on the timing of the general election. The Met said it had been passed information on the allegations by the Gambling Commission.

Speaking to The Independent, Sir Keir insisted that, had Labour candidates been involved in allegedly trying to use insider information to make bets, they “would have been straight out of the door” and their “feet wouldn’t have touched the ground”.

Just a few hours after the interview, the Labour leader made good on his words, suspending Central Suffolk and North Ipswich candidate Kevin Craig after being told he was also being investigated by the Gambling Commission. Sir Keir also handed back Mr Craig’s £100,000 donation to the party.

The Labour leader made it clear that the final week of the election campaign would be about character and leadership, and who is best placed to make the tough decisions in government. Sir Keir’s attack on the prime minister had echoes of the 2010 campaign, when Gordon Brown was described as “frit” by David Cameron as he headed towards defeat.