Election latest: Senior Tory says bets on date are 'stupid' but seeks to play down scale of scandal (2024)

Our live poll tracker collates the results of opinion surveys carried out by all the main polling organisations - and allows you to see how the political parties are performing in the run-up to the general election.

It shows a drop in support in recent days for Labour and the Tories - with a jump for Reform and the Liberal Democrats.

Read more about the tracker here.

The Metropolitan Police have opened an investigation into criminal damage after Labour candidate for Walthamstow Stella Creasy's office was attacked.

Photos shared by Ms Creasy on social media appear to show thethat the glass of one of the windows and the front door was hit several times.

Detectives Superintendent Dion Brown, one of the senior officers responsible for policing Waltham Forest, said: "It is entirely unacceptable for the office of one of London's prospective parliamentary candidates to be targeted in this way.

"An urgent investigation is under way, and officers have attended the scene and are already following up active lines of enquiry, which will include full analysis of all available CCTV footage.

"The incident is believed to have occurred between 03:10hrs and 03:30hrs on Sunday, 23 June.

"I urge any witnesses or anyone with information to contact police and share what they know.

"Anyone who witnessed the damage being caused, or who has other information, should call police on 101 with the reference 2621/23jun."

Ms Creasy sent a message to the perpetrators herself, writing on social media: "You don't intimidate me and you don't belong in the political process.

"Same as those circulating malicious and false leaflets. Police already on this to find you - will press for the strongest penalties for such an anti-democratic attack and I know Walthamstow won't be cowed or influenced by your violence either."

Here is the full list of candidates standing in the constituency of Walthamstow:

• Imran Arshad, Workers Party of Britain
• Mohammed Ashfaq, independent
• Stella Creasy, Labour Party
  
• Dan Edelstyn, independent
  
• Sanjana Madan Mohan Karnani, Conservative Party
  
• Martin Lonergan, Reform UK
  
• Ruth Theresa Rawlins, independent
  
• Rosalinda Ayo Rowlands, Green Party
  
• Nancy Taaffe, Trade Union and Socialist Coalition
  
• Rebecca Taylor, Liberal Democrats

First up with Ali Fortescue tonight is Sir Liam Fox, the former defence secretary.

He is asked about the Conservative Party betting scandal, and the argument that this controversy is similar to the "partygate" situation - one rule for them, another for the public.

But Mr Fox says the situation needs to be put in "perspective".

"You're extrapolating from a very small amount of information," he claims.

"Individuals have to take responsibility for their own actions."

Mr Fox claims these actions do not reflect on the party, admitting the bets were "stupid" - "and how could anyone think it was ethical".

He points out that "we don't know" how many were police, and how many were linked to Conservatives.

By Jon Craig, chief political correspondent

Many more people than the leading Tories already identified are being investigated by the gambling regulator in relation to bets on the date of the general election, Sky News understands.

And in a major new development, the watchdog has widened its inquiries to investigate whether people with inside knowledge may have asked a third party to place a bet for them.

Sky News also understands that 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 body carrying out the investigation, the Gambling Commission, already takes a close interest in political betting and carries out extra checks on bets by people connected with politics, Sky News has been told.

The gambling industry also regards politicians and those who work closely with them as PEPs - politically exposed persons - who are people "entrusted with a prominent public function".

You can read Jon's report in full below:

Our daily politics showPolitics Hubis live now on Sky News with ourpolitical correspondentAli Fortescuehosting this evening.

The fast-paced programme dissects the inner workings of Westminster, with interviews, insights, and analysis - bringing you, the audience, into the corridors of power.

Joining Ali tonight:

• Crossbench peer Kim Darroch;
• Ex-Tory minister Liam Fox.

And on her panel are:

• Labour Party donorDale Vince;
• Former Conservative adviser James Starkie.

Watch live on Sky News, in the stream at the top of this page, and follow live updates here in the Politics Hub.

WatchPolitics Hubfrom 7pm every night during the election campaign on Sky channel 501, Virgin channel 602, Freeview channel 233, on theSky News websiteandappor onYouTube.

Farming communities across the UK are calling for more support from the next government.

Rising costs and climate change are impacting their produce - which the farmers say will make food more expensive.

In the latest stop in Sky's Bench Across Britain series, Jason Farrell spoke to farmers in Cheshire.

Watch his full report below - and read more here.

By Darren McCaffrey, political correspondent, in South West Norfolk

In 2019, Liz Truss was once again elected MP for South West Norfolk - her fourth election win.

The then international trade secretary and later prime minister romped home to victory with nearly 70% of the vote.

Her constituency was one of the safest in the country.

Now, if the polls are to be believed, it is hanging in the balance.

A dramatic reversal of fortune akin to her time in Downing Street.

By Tom Cheshire, online campaign correspondent

If you want a good idea of what matters to each party - its deepest desires, its darkest fears - look at where it's spending money.

What it shows is a story of Labour spending big and spending everywhere, as it pursues a plausible supermajority, while the Conservatives retreat to fight for some of their heartland constituencies, and spend much less.

It shows the current state of play for all parties across the country. The map shows which is the biggest spender in each constituency - which parts of the country they're fighting to win, or not to lose.

The map was created by Who Targets Me (WTM), which tracks digital political advertising and has partnered with Sky News as part of our online campaign team.

"Our map of advertising activity shows where the parties have targeted their Facebook and Instagram ads in the last week," Sam Jeffers, executive director of WTM, says.

Labour frontbencher Pat McFadden has urged the gambling watchdog to release the names of those being investigated over claims of election betting.

Sky News understands that many more people than the leading Tories already identified are being investigated by the gambling regulator in relation to bets on the date of the general election.

And the Gambling Commission has now widened its inquiries to investigate whether people with inside knowledge may have asked a third party to place a bet for them.

In a letter to the CEO of the Gambling Commission, Andrew Rhodes, Mr McFadden said he is "deeply concerned" that speculation over the scandal is "casting a shadow over the election".

He added: "The public will be rightly appalled that anyone close to the decision to call the election would use inside information to bet on an outcome they knew in advance.

"With postal ballots already being sent out, many millions of people will be casting their vote this week.

"They deserve to have all relevant facts about this scandal at their disposal when doing so."

"There's no point in voting. They're all the same. Nothing ever changes anyway."

In the run-up togeneral electionspast and present, you may have heard various iterations of the above from friends, family, colleagues and strangers.

Repeated political scandals have pushed the public's distrust of politicians and voter apathy up. At the 2019 election, roughly a third (32.7%) of the country didn't vote.

But here we look back at changes brought in by both Conservative and Labour governments that have fundamentally changed day-to-day life in the UK - many for the better.