Closing summary
Scotland’s Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, described talk of a Labour “supermajority” as “nonsense” after the Conservatives have been warning voters of what could happen if Keir Starmer wins next month’s election in a landslide victory.
A senior Conservative official has become the fourth party figure subject to an investigation by the gambling watchdog, amid reports he placed dozens of bets on the timing of the election before it was announced. The Gambling Commission has informed Nick Mason, the Tories’ chief data officer, that he is part of its inquiry into bets on the timing of the election, the Sunday Times reported. The Conservative party confirmed that Mason had taken a leave of absence. Sky News and ITV News both reported that the Gambling Commission is investigating more people than those who have already been named by the media.
Sky News reported the gambling regulator has widened its inquiries to investigate whether people with inside knowledge may have asked a third party to place a bet on their behalf. Investigators have written to leading bookmakers asking for details of bets of £20 or more on the election date within days of Rishi Sunak announcing it on 22 May, the outlet reported.
The former justice secretary Robert Buckland said he is “deeply hurt and rather angry” at the growing Tory betting scandal, saying he expects “higher standards”, and that Rishi Sunak should suspend anybody involved (a call also made by the Lib Dems).
The home secretary, James Cleverly, meanwhile, said he has “no reason to believe” that any cabinet ministers had bet on the election date. Cleverly was also asked about reports that James Sunderland, a Tory parliamentary candidate and aide, described the government’s Rwanda scheme as “crap” at a private event in April. “So, I saw that headline and I was quite surprised because I know James has been very supportive both of me personally and of the policy,” the home secretary told Sky News when asked this morning about the comments. Cleverly later said Sunderland “used the word crap to grab the attention of the audience”.
The shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said a Labour victory is “not a done deal” as she accused the Conservatives of pursuing a “voter suppression” strategy. When asked by Sky News about Labour not committing to lifting the two-child benefit cap, Phillipson responded by saying she wished that her party could “wave a magic wand” and “right every wrong” of the last 14 years, but that this is not possible within the financial constraints an incoming Labour government would be tied to if elected.
Scottish first minister John Swinney told LBC that he would define success for the SNP in the general election as “becoming the largest party in Scotland”.
Thank you for reading and all your comments today. This blog is closing now but you can read all of our politics coverage here.
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As part of the Guardian’s Life under Labour series, Heather Stewart looks at the party’s proposed housing policies to explore what impact they will have on those caught up in the crisis.
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