Labour to target Sunak over his 'dirty dozen' candidates

Labour is set to launch a social media campaign aimed at questioning Rishi Sunak's judgement by ramping up pressure for him to suspend 12 candidates caught up in different controversies including the betting scandal.

- DAVID MADDOX

The new campaign will feature an unnamed cabinet minister who allegedly put a bet on the election date, and 11 named Tory candidates involved in a range of issues highlighted in the campaign.

With Labour currently more than 20 points ahead in most polls, the party wants to go for the jugular over Mr Sunak’s decision not to suspend Conservative candidates.

Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth described the prime minister as “weak” for not being able to take a firm stance.

Aside from the unnamed minister, the so-called “dirty dozen” include:

Craig Williams, Mr Sunak’s parliamentary private secretary, who is standing in Montgomeryshire, and Laura Saunders, who has worked for the Tories since 2015, is married to director of campaigning Tony Lee, and is standing in Bristol North West. Mr Williams and Ms Saunders are both being investigated by the Gambling Commission for betting on the date of the election shortly before it was called.

Ms Saunders has not responded, but Mr Williams said: “I clearly made a huge error of judgement, that’s for sure, and I apologise.”

Mr Sunak said he was “extremely angry” about the scandal but insisted he cannot suspend people while the investigation is underway, warning that those found guilty will be expelled from the Tory party.

Marco Longhi, standing in Dudley, is accused of stoking ethnic divisions with a letter addressed to “voters of the British Pakistani/Kashmiri community” asking who they thought would speak up for Kashmir, him or Labour rival Sonia Kumar, with her common Indian surname printed in bold, underlined, capital letters.

Mr Longhi denied stoking ethnic tensions, saying: “I don’t know what her ethnicity or religious background is. I am not trying to stoke division. I will always stand up for abuses of human rights wherever they take place.”