'Who do you trust?' Election date scandal could linger in public awareness

When Rishi Sunak called a general election in the pouring rain last month, he must have been have hoping his party would close at least some of the 20-point deficit in the opinion polls.

- Dan Sabbagh , Jim Waterson

Instead, it seems the only members of his party who have profited since are some of his Downing street aides - in a political betting scandal that has swiftly reinforced prevailing antiConservative stereotypes in the British public's imagination.

A week ago, the Guardian revealed that Craig Williams, Rishi Sunak's parliamentary private secretary, an otherwise obscure politician with an intimate knowledge of Downing Street, had placed a £100 bet on his boss calling an early general election in July.

The odds were 5-1, hardly enough to be worth risking a reputation over. But nevertheless, even though Williams only stood to gain £500, he thought it worth placing a bet on Sunday 19 May with a rural Welsh bookmaker. Three days later, a rain-soaked Sunak made his surprise announcement, asking the British public on 22 May: "Who do you trust?"

Before that Wednesday morning, few in Britain had expected an election to be called before the summer.