UK PM Sunak vows to act on any findings of probe into Tory betting scandal

EDINBURGH – British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on June 24 that he would act on any findings of wrongdoing from an internal investigation into a damaging betting scandal that could punish him further at a July 4 election he is expected to lose.

His Conservative Party trails the opposition Labour Party by around 20 points in opinion polls and Mr Sunak's campaign has failed to take off amid a series of missteps, including

his decision to leave D-Day commemorations early.

The party’s campaign has been further damaged by revelations that several party officials and candidates are being investigated for

allegedly betting on the date of the election

before it was announced.

Mr Sunak has said he was “incredibly angry” to hear of the allegations, which are being investigated by the Gambling Commission, and told reporters he was not aware of any other candidates being investigated.

“We have been in parallel conducting our own internal inquiries, and will of course act on any relevant findings or information,” Mr Sunak told broadcasters after a campaign event in Edinburgh.

Labour leader Keir Starmer criticised Mr Sunak’s handling of events, saying it showed weakness.

“Rishi Sunak needs to show some leadership,” he told reporters. “If these were my candidates... they’d be gone.”

In Scotland, Labour is hoping to capitalise on the struggles of both the Conservatives and the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP), which is on its third leader in a little over a year.

The SNP has dominated the Westminster Parliament’s Scottish seats since 2015, garnering support of pro-independence voters in the wake of a 2014 referendum in which Scots voted to remain part of the United Kingdom by 55 per cent to 45 per cent.

But a police investigation into the SNP’s finances, Ms Nicola Sturgeon’s sudden resignation as leader in 2023 and the implosion of her successor Humza Yousaf’s administration in the devolved Scottish government in 2024 have put that dominance in question.

Labour has also regained momentum in its former Scottish heartland and polls show it level with or even ahead of the SNP for the first time in a decade.

The SNP manifesto says that if it wins a majority of Scottish seats, it will begin negotiations on independence, though both Mr Sunak and Mr Starmer have ruled out such talks.

At the launch of the Scottish Conservative manifesto, Mr Sunak aimed his speech almost entirely at the SNP and its attempts to pursue a second independence vote.

The Conservatives are trying to hang on to their six Scottish seats, where the SNP are their main rivals.

“The fourth of July is Scotland’s chance... to put independence on the backburner for a generation,” Mr Sunak said.

“But that can only happen if the SNP are routed. If they do not just lose some seats, but the SNP lose big.”

He also criticised the approach of the SNP and Labour to the energy sector, saying the Conservatives are the only way to protect North Sea oil.

The Conservatives lag behind in third place in Scotland, and could be on course for a historic defeat across Britain as a whole. Research by Ipsos Scotland found that Mr Sunak has a net negative approval rating of minus 64 points.

“Scotland’s voice is still ignored and our democratic choices are still disrespected,” SNP leader John Swinney said in extracts of a speech he gave on June 24.

“We see Westminster politicians take campaign trips north of the border to sneer at the very idea that Scotland can have real, genuine influence at Westminster.

“That is the reality of this unequal Union.”

REUTERS