by Rishi Sunak is under increasing pressure to intervene in the Tory general election betting scandal, with senior figures urging him to act.
The prime minister has been asked to immediately suspend everyone under investigation from the party and to hold a Cabinet Office inquiry into the scandal.
Party chairman Richard Holden, who is responsible for overseeing the Conservative general election campaign, is still under the spell of the crisis.
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A former Tory minister and deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats are among those who have joined the growing call for those involved to be suspended.
Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator, Pat McFadden, has written to the Gambling Commission asking the watchdog to release the names of everyone under investigation.
As the deepening crisis threatened to sideline the Tories’ election campaign for another week:
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Sources close to Oliver Dowden confirmed that the deputy PM had not bet on the election, prompting other senior figures to rule themselves out.
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James Cleverly did not deny that a cabinet minister was involved, saying “not that I know of”
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Michael Gove compared the situation to Partygate, with voters seeing it as “one rule for them and another for us”.
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Labour’s Bridget Phillipson said there was “genuine embarrassment” among voters at the allegations
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The number of Tories being investigated by the watchdog has increased to four – two candidates and two officers
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Anger grew that the accused police protection officer was also suspended while Tory figures remain in the post
Amid the mounting revelations, former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland told LBC he was disappointed by the scandal. “Whatever the motivation of these people is … is this really what we expect? I don’t think so,” he said.
When asked if he thought the Prime Minister should suspend those involved, he said: “I do.”
And former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng told Nuacht GB: “It’s childish and extremely stupid. How did they think they wouldn’t get caught?” He pointed the finger at Mr Sunak, saying he is in charge and is “ultimately responsible”.
He continued: “Sometimes it might be unfair, maybe he didn’t know what was going on, but as the leader of an organization, your character, your job is to put some control over the institution, and if things go on. wrong – I know it’s an old-fashioned view, and people don’t take it seriously anymore, but ultimately I think the leader is responsible for what’s going on.”
After a day of silence from the prime minister, Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper said The Independent: “Rishi Sunak must personally intervene to order a Cabinet Office inquiry and suspend all those under investigation by the Gambling Commission.
“People are sick and tired of this shit. Day by day, hour by hour, the Conservative government is doing more of it.”
In his damning letter to the Gambling Commission, Mr McFadden said: “With postal ballots already sent out, millions of people will be casting their votes this week. They deserve all the relevant facts about this scandal while doing so.
“I believe it is in the public interest that the Gambling Commission make public the names of the other figures you are investigating in relation to this matter. It will be of particular interest if any government ministers have promised the date of the election before it has been called.”
The Independent It is revealed that an unnamed cabinet minister is believed to be among the various figures being investigated, with many senior Tories ruling themselves out including Grant Shapps, Penny Mordaunt, James Cleverly, Mark Harper and Mr Gove.
Over the weekend, Conservative Party chief data officer Nick Mason revealed the latest figure to be investigated by the Gambling Commission.
He is the fourth named figure close to the party’s leadership to be investigated by the gambling watchdog for alleged betting on the timing of the election before the date was announced.
The latest allegations were published by The Sunday Timeswho claimed that Mr Mason placed many bets on potential winnings worth thousands of pounds.
Mr Gove said: “There is a perception that we operate outside the rules we set for other people – which was damaging at the time of Partygate and is damaging here.
“If you are privileged, [close] for the prime minister, at the heart of a political operation, and you use inside information to make extra money for yourself, that is not acceptable. So if these allegations are true, it is very difficult to defend them.”
The home secretary, Mr Cleverly, said he would not defend any Tory found to have placed bets, but that it was up to the Gambling Commission to investigate.
He said: “My understanding is that it is a small number of individuals”, adding: “There is an investigation by the Gambling Commission, and we have been told very, very clearly that we are not going to discuss the investigations .”
Several reports suggested that the commission was investigating “many more” individuals and that its investigation had expanded to include possible bets from family and friends of those involved in the party.
An industry source said The Independent that the Gambling Commission has requested details of all bets made on the July election after May 1, and is now “combing the data and removing people from that”.
The revelations are a fresh blow to Rishi Sunak’s hopes of getting the Tories’ election campaign back on track, after three other Conservative figures were caught up in the scandal.
Craig Williams, Mr Sunak’s parliamentary private secretary, who is standing in Montgomeryshire, was the first Tory candidate to be publicly linked to the betting scandal.
Laura Saunders, who has worked for the Tories since 2015 and is standing in Bristol North West, and her husband Tony Lee, a campaign director, are both being investigated.
The shadow education secretary, Ms Phillipson, described a “real disdain” among voters for general election betting.
She told the BBC Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “People all over the country will make promises, but I think there is real shame among so many voters that this is appalling behavior to see here.
“Rishi Sunak promised us that his government would be different; he did not act against the candidates in question, he should have suspended them, and – as Michael Gove said – this reminds people of the worst excesses of the Conservatives in the last 14 years .”
