Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer clash over response to Westminster gambling scandal as news emerges Metropolitan Police will expand its role in general election The role of stakes in investigations.
In the final face-to-face debate before voters go to the polls, the Labor leader launched a blistering attack on the culture at the top of the Tory party, saying it showed a “wrong instinct” to bet on the party’s future. The arrogance of Covid rules.
In an angry exchange, Sunak repeatedly urged the country not to “give in” to Labour’s tax and immigration plans and said the general election should not be decided purely on dissatisfaction with the Conservatives.
“I understand why you are frustrated with our party, and for me, I understand. But this is not a by-election, it is a choice that has profound consequences for you and our country,” he said. “Before you make this choice, think about what a Labor government means.
“Can you afford to pay at least £2,000 more in tax? … If you’re not sure about Labour, don’t surrender to them, don’t vote for any other party, vote Conservative.”
In response, the Labor leader said: “That’s a lie” about claims Labor would raise taxes by £2,000 per household [on tax]he was told not to repeat the lie, which he did.
Britain’s statistics watchdog had previously warned the Conservatives over the claim, saying they had failed to make clear how the figures were calculated.
Five Conservative politicians and staff have now been suspended for allegedly betting on election dates. Labor was embroiled in a gambling dispute on Tuesday when it suspended one of its candidates over a bet that he would not win the seat he was running for.
Starmer said he suspended his own candidate Kevin Craig “within minutes” – comparing his behavior to Sunak, who took days to Make a decision. “I think over the past 14 years, politics has become too focused on self-entitlement and members of Congress thinking about what they can get for themselves,” he said.
“The instinct of these people is to think that the first thing they should do is make money, and that’s the wrong instinct and we have to change that.”
He said Sunak had “delayed, delayed, delayed” and was “coerced” into taking action. “My candidates know I have the highest standards. They’ve seen the consequences of my actions,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police confirmed it was investigating a “small number of cases” related to gambling incidents in Westminster to “assess whether the alleged offenses fall outside the scope of the Gambling Act and include other offenses such as those of public officials Misconduct”.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said they would announce further findings from their investigation on Thursday. “The Met will not take over the investigation into election time betting. The Gambling Commission will continue to lead investigations into cases where the alleged offenses are limited to breaches of the Gambling Act.
The Guardian broke the gambling scandal two weeks ago and revealed that Craig Williams was being investigated by the regulator for betting that the election would be held in July, three days before it was called.
The watchdog is also examining claims allegedly made by Conservative campaign director Tony Lee and his wife, Conservative candidate for Bristol North West Laura Saunders, as well as the Conservative Party’s chief data officer A bet placed by Nick Mason.
The Guardian also revealed that Russell George, a Conservative member of the Welsh Assembly who represents the same constituency as Craig Williams, was also involved in the committee’s investigation.
Six Met officials have so far been implicated in the scandal, including one, the prime minister’s protection officer, who is under investigation for misconduct in public office after he allegedly placed five bets on election dates.
Labor has suspended Mid Suffolk and North Ipswich candidate Kevin Craig and said it will now refund £100,000 he donated to the party under Starmer, while shadow health secretary Wes Streeting will refund £13,000 donated towards staff costs.
In the second and final debate between the two leaders, hosted by the BBC, they clashed over the economy, immigration and the quality of the prime minister. During the exchange, loud protests were heard outside the Nottingham building.
Starmer said Sunak would become “Liz Truss Mark II” and the same damage would ensue. “He’s now openly acknowledging the damage the Conservatives have done to this country and then saying – vote for me.”
He also won applause from the audience for challenging Sunak on the cost of living, saying: “If you listened to people across the country more often you might not be so out of touch.”
Starmer accused Sunak of using trans people as a “political football to divide people”, although both men said they would protect women’s rights to single-sex spaces.
The Labor leader said he believed trans people should be treated with “dignity and respect… and if you don’t, we’ll end up with the Prime Minister standing in Parliament and making an anti-trans joke” to round of applause .
Sunak replied: “That’s not what I did. I was pointing out that you have changed your mind several times on this issue.
But Sunak challenged Starmer earlier in the debate, questioning his plans for illegal immigration, saying his plans for a migrant return deal were “ridiculous” when it came to countries such as Iran and Afghanistan.
“He said he was going to sit down with the people. Are you going to sit down with the Iranian Ayatollah? Are you going to make a deal with the Taliban? What you’re saying is complete nonsense. You’re taking people for fools,” Suna said. K said.
The Labor leader said Sunak’s plans to deport people to Rwanda would also be no deterrent.
“At the moment they haven’t been processed… There are tens of thousands of people sitting in hotels and you haven’t processed their claims. At the moment, 100 percent of them have actually been granted asylum… and Because they are not being processed, they cannot return to where they came from,” he said.
The Prime Minister said Starmer also had no plans for what to do with the asylum seekers currently in limbo. “If Keir Starmer becomes the reason, all these illegal immigrants will be taken off our streets, it’s your choice,” he said.
“Don’t hand control of our borders to Labor. If Labor wins, people smugglers will need a bigger boat.
