The Conservative Party withdrew its support for two candidates who are being investigated for betting on the general election calendar.
The Conservative election campaign has been plunged into crisis as two Conservative candidates, two staffers and an officer from Rishi Sunak’s close protection team are being investigated by the Gambling Commission over election-time betting.
The Prime Minister initially insisted he had to wait until the Gambling Commission inquiry was completed to take any action, but faced pressure to suspend Craig Williams and Laura Saunders, the two Conservative candidates.
On Tuesday morning, the Conservative Party announced that it was no longer supported as a Conservative candidate.
They will still appear on the ballot papers as Conservative candidates, as it is too late to change them before next Thursday’s vote, but they will not be allowed to become Conservative MPs if they win their seats.
A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “As a result of ongoing internal investigations, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as parliamentary candidates at the next general election.
“We checked with the Gaming Commission that this decision does not compromise the investigation they are conducting, which is independent and continuous.”
Sky News has contacted Saunders and Williams for comment.
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