General election latest: Betting scandal count rises as Sunak and Starmer face off in last TV debate

The number of politicians caught up in the betting scandal has risen to seven after a cabinet minister admitted placing bets on the date of the election.

Scotland Secretary Alister Jack placed three wagers on the timing of the 4 July poll, but said he has not breached any gambling rules.

As well as seven politicians, the Gambling Commission is investigating five Metropolitan Police officers, and one constable has already been arrested and questioned.

On Tuesday, Labour was drawn into the scandal, suspending candidate Kevin Craig after being told the Gambling Commission has launched an investigation into him.

Mr Craig said he “deeply” regrets putting a bet on the Tories winning in the Suffolk constituency he is contesting and will “fully comply” with a Gambling Commission investigation.

Following pressure from opponents and his own party, on Tuesday Rishi Sunak suspended two candidates. Craig Williams, who is standing in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, and Laura Saunders, who is standing in Bristol North West, will still appear on ballot papers at the election as nominations have closed.

Key Points

• Five more Met officers accused of placing bets

• Craig Williams admits he committed ‘error of judgement'

• Lord Foster demand Sunak explain delay over suspending candidates

• Tories withdraw support from two betting scandal candidates

• What to expect on the General Election campaign trail on Wednesday

PM backs Kemi Badenock in David Tennant row

08:19 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rishi Sunak has backed Kemi Badenoch in the row with David Tennant, after the actor said he wishes the Tory minister would “shut up”.

The prime minister posted on X: “ Freedom of speech is the most powerful feature of our democracy. If you’re calling for women to shut up and wishing they didn’t exist, you are the problem.”

Labour heading towards ‘massive majority,’ Senior Tory says

08:13 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Labour appears to be heading to a “massive majority”, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said.

The senior Tory, a close ally of Rishi Sunak, told Sky News: “I’m extremely worried for the future if we have a Labour government, particularly if we have one that is totally unrestrained because it has a massive majority, which is what we appear to be heading towards, with very little opposition in Parliament.

“I would just say to people on that score that I think it’s really important that we think very carefully about holding Labour to account, if they are to win this coming General Election, and that people do vote Conservative so that we have a decent opposition at least to an overweening Labour Party.”

‘Not all Black women think the same’: Dawn Butler weighs in on row between David Tennant and Kemi Badenoch

07:56 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Dawn Butler has weighed in on the row between David Tennant and Kemi Banedoch after the actor suggested the Equalities Minister should “shut up”.

Ms Badenoch wrote in a post online yesterday: “I will not shut up. I will not be silenced by men who prioritise applause from Stonewall over the safety of women and girls.

“A rich, lefty, white male celebrity so blinded by ideology he can’t see the optics of attacking the only black woman in government by calling publicly for my existence to end.”

Commenting on Ms Badenoch’s response, Ms Butler, the Labour candidate for Brent East wrote: “Not all Black women think the same. I agree with David Tennant. That’s it, that’s the tweet.”

Mel Stride asked where his cabinet colleagues are

07:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The work and pensions secretary has been quizzed over why so few of his cabinet colleagues are picking up the morning media rounds, Archie Mitchell reports.

The government sends a minister each day to answer questions from broadcasters, with Mel Stride having picked up more than his fair share since the general election kicked off.

Asked by Sky News why he had appeared nine times since the start of May while colleagues have not been seen at all, Mr Stride said it was likely because much of the election campaign was focused on tax.

“We’re not even talking about the top offices of state and the prime minister, but the broad cabinet has not really been seen during this campaign coming out beating their chests to say we are proud of the work we have done… are you surprised how often you’ve been sent out?” Mr Stride was asked.

Addressing the tax focus of the election, he said: “It’s an area I have a particular interest and expertise in and often when we are not talking about betting and things suddenly coming from stage right we are talking about exactly those issues.”

Stride defends Cabinet colleague Alister Jack after he admitted placing bets

07:34 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride defended Cabinet colleague Alister Jack, who has said he put three wagers on the timing of the July 4 poll.

Mr Stride told Times Radio: “The important thing with Alister I think, is the fact... the bet or bets or whatever it may have been that he placed did not occur in May.

“He’s very clear that he has not broken any of the rules and is not indeed being investigated by the Gambling Commission.”

‘A ban on politicians betting should be considered'

07:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride suggested a ban on politicians betting should be considered.

Asked if it should be banned, he told Times Radio: “Quite possibly and I think we do need to have a debate about it.”

But he said there were “all sorts of variations of gambling around politics“.

“My personal view, I would just say that people shouldn’t do it, but I think we should have a debate about it more broadly.

“But let me be very, very clear: by saying that, I totally recognise that using inside information, as may have been the case for certain individuals in this way, is utterly wrong.”

Mel Stride: Betting scandal ‘deeply disappointing'

07:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said the election betting scandal was “deeply disappointing”.

He told Times Radio: “It’s deeply unsatisfactory, that anybody should - if it is proven to be the case - use inside information in this way.

“Obviously the Gambling Commission is continuing its inquiries, we need to await the outcome of that to establish those as facts or otherwise.

“So I would describe it as deeply, deeply disappointing if that is happening.

“And I am as angry as the Prime Minister is about it. And that’s why after internal inquiries, he took that decision - I think it was right to do so - to suspend some of those candidates that are standing in the election, so I think the right steps have been taken.”

What to expect on the General Election campaign trail on Wednesday

07:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The gloves come off

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer will make their closing arguments to the nation as they go head to head in their final TV debate before polling day next week.

The scandal over candidates and officials betting on the timing of the election will loom large over Wednesday’s clash after a Cabinet minister became the latest figure to say he had placed bets on the timing of the vote.

Labour’s family doctor promise

Labour will talk up its pledge to end the 8am scramble for GP appointments by training more doctors and updating the NHS app so slots are easy to book and rearrange.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting will be promoting the message, saying his party is also committed to bringing back the family doctor, to give patients continuity.

The blue wall and the yellow

While Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey continues campaigning across traditionally Tory heartlands in southern England, his Scottish counterpart will be in the south-east of Scotland.

Reform UK chairman Richard Tice will be in Scotland giving a speech on net zero and “saving the oil and gas industry”.

Starmer has rebuilt Labour’s trust with Britain’s poorest, new research finds

07:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Labour has rebuilt its relationship with low-income people and is no longer “out of touch”, according to a new study by a major think-tank, while the Conservatives have lost ground significantly.

Five years ago, Labour was seen as the most “out of touch” party, according to voters on the lowest incomes (some 6 million households with an income of less than £21,000).

Nearly half of those questioned in 2019 (45 per cent) regarded Labour as ‘out of touch”. But this figure has plummeted under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership with just of a quarter of low-income people (27 per cent) now taking this view.

Starmer has rebuilt Labour’s trust with Britain’s poorest, new research finds

Starmer has rebuilt Labour’s trust with Britain’s poorest

07:18 , Salma Ouaguira

Labour has rebuilt its relationship with low-income people and is no longer “out of touch”, according to a new study by a major think-tank, while the Conservatives have lost ground significantly.

Five years ago, Labour was seen as the most “out of touch” party, according to voters on the lowest incomes (some 6 million households with an income of less than £21,000).

Nearly half of those questioned in 2019 (45 per cent) regarded Labour as ‘out of touch”. But this figure has plummeted under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership with just of a quarter of low-income people (27 per cent) now taking this view.

The Conservative Party now hold this unenviable reputation with 40 per cent of the poorest voters seeing it as out of touch, up 6 per cent since 2019.

The figures come from Breadline Britain’s Election Battleground, a new report from the Centre for Social Justice, which commissioned polling by Survation.

You can read The Independent full story here

Tory candidate defends Labour’s Kevin Craig

07:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Tory candidate and long-serving MP has said Labour may have overreacted in suspending Kevin Craig for betting against himself in the general election, Archie Mitchell reports.

Sir Conor Burns, who has been the MP for Bournemouth West since 2010, said Mr Craig “could not have had any inside information or really influenced the outcome of his bet - any more than any candidate can determine a free vote”.

He detailed the pair’s friendship, which dates back more than 30 years to when they were political opponents at Southampton University.

“He is one of the most decent, straightforward and kind people I know. And when I have needed friends most he has always been the first to be there. A good guy,” Mr Buns said.

Labour suspends parliamentary candidate over betting investigation

07:08 , Salma Ouaguira

Labour has suspended parliamentary candidate Kevin Craig after being told the Gambling Commission has launched an investigation into him.

PR boss Craig is standing in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich.

Suspended Labour candidate admits betting against himself at election

Another Sunak minister admits to betting on election date

07:05 , Salma Ouaguira

The Westminster gambling row has deepened after a cabinet minister revealed he had placed bets on the date of the general election.

Scotland secretary Alister Jack denied having broken any rules but said he put three wagers on the timing of the July 4 poll, becoming the latest of seven politicians and officials to get drawn in to the controversy.

Rishi Sunak will face further pressure over the revelation, which comes after he caved to mounting calls from within the Tory Party to withdraw support for two parliamentary candidates facing a Gambling Commission investigation.

Labour was also dragged into the row on Tuesday, with the party suspending  its candidate Kevin Craig after it emerged he had bet that he would lose to the Tories in the contest for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich.

Mr Jack said he had in April put £20 at odds of 5 to 1 on an election being held between July and September, but that he had no knowledge of when it would be called until the day that Rishi Sunak fired the starting gun on May 22.

Another Sunak minister admits to betting on election date as gambling row deepens

General election polls: Are Labour or the Conservatives on track to win in July?

07:00 , Salma Ouaguira

General election polls: Are Labour or the Conservatives on track to win in July?

Tory chairman’s campaign leaflets sent to wrong constituency

06:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Hundreds of campaign leaflets for the chairman of the Conservative party Richard Holden have been sent to the wrong constituency, the BBC reports.

The party has admitted the mistake was out of their control but it did not confirm how many were lost.

Mr Holden, who oversees the national party campaigning, has seen his election material end up in Rayleigh and Wickford.

He confirmed that just a “few hundred” leaflets were misplaced but some party insiders have admitted it is more like thousands.

Trans intervention nothing to do with ‘culture wars’ or leadership ambition, says health secretary

05:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Victoria Atkins has denied that her intervention this morning on the trans debate had anything to do with opening up a new “culture wars” front in the general election or her own leadership ambitions.

The health secretary was wheeled out by the Conservatives this morning to respond to Labour’s plans to modernise the laws regarding changing gender.

It comes after a poll last night again showed the Tories even trailing Reform in third place and still 25 points behind Labouras the gambling scandal on the election date continued to hit their credibility.

Ms Atkins is already being discussed as a future leadership option after what now seems to be an inevitable defeat for the Tories with polls suggesting that it could be the worst in their 346-year history.

Trans intervention nothing to do with leadership ambition, says health secretary

03:00 , Salma Ouaguira

02:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Watch: Suspended Tory MP in betting scandal urges voters to back him

01:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Wednesday 26 June 2024 00:01 , Salma Ouaguira

Ask a SNP candidate anything in exclusive Q&A session

Tuesday 25 June 2024 23:30 , Salma Ouaguira

The Independent is giving readers the chance to chat directly with candidates from some of the major political parties in a special general election series of Ask Me Anything events.

In one question and answer session, our community will be able to chat exclusively with SNP candidate Drew Hendry, who is looking to hold his seat on July 4.

In its manifesto, the party makes it plain that it wants to rejoin the European Union and the single market, and “reverse the damage of Brexit”.

That only looks likely to be an option if Scotland becomes independent, so it’s unsurprising that the SNP is also pledging to “intensify” the pressure to secure Scottish independence.

If you have a question about the SNP’s manifesto, pledges or policies submit it here.

Labour will keep Bibby Stockholm barge in use if elected, Yvette Cooper confirms

Tuesday 25 June 2024 23:06 , Salma Ouaguira

Labour will keep Bibby Stockholm barge in use if elected, Yvette Cooper confirms

Can I still vote in the July general election if I am on holiday?

Tuesday 25 June 2024 22:30 , Salma Ouaguira

Can I still vote in the July general election if I am on holiday?

In full: Five more police alleged to have placed bets on election date

Tuesday 25 June 2024 22:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Another five police officers are alleged to have placed bets on the timing of the general election.

The Metropolitan Police said it had been passed information on the allegations from the Gambling Commission.

It came after Rishi Sunak finally bowed to pressure and withdrew the Conservative Party’s support for two candidates embroiled in the betting scandal.

The Tories have dropped Craig Williams and Laura Saunders, both of whom are linked to the prime minister’s inner circle and are under investigation by the commission.

But two weeks after allegations first emerged even a Conservative former cabinet minister asked “why did it take so long”.

Kemi Badenoch hints at another Tory leadership run after general election

Tuesday 25 June 2024 21:30 , Salma Ouaguira

Kemi Badenoch hints at another Tory leadership run after general election

Poll: Support for Reform dips down

Tuesday 25 June 2024 20:45 , Salma Ouaguira

Ask a Green Party candidate anything in exclusive Q&A session

Tuesday 25 June 2024 20:00 , Salma Ouaguira

The Independent is giving readers the chance to chat directly with candidates from some of the major political parties in a special general election series of Ask Me Anything events.

In one of the sessions, our community will be able to chat exclusively with Dr Ellie Chowns, who is hoping to be elected MP in North Herefordshire for the Green Party.

Serving as the party’s housing and communities spokesperson, Dr Chowns served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the West Midlands for the party from 2019 to 2020. She has also been a councillor on Herefordshire Council since 2017, representing the Bishops Frome & Cradley ward, and is leader of the council’s Green group.

If you have a question about the Green Party’s manifesto, pledges or policies submit it here now.

Dr Chowns will join the conversation live at 6pm on Friday 28 June for the “Ask Me Anything” event.Find out more here.

Watch: James Cleverly admits he has 'no idea' how many people are on Bibby Stockholm

Tuesday 25 June 2024 19:30 , Salma Ouaguira

Tuesday 25 June 2024 19:23 , Howard Mustoe

Cabinet minister said he made £2,000 betting on the election

A cabinet minister claimed that he won more than £2,000 betting on an election in July.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack told the BBC he had made £2,100 after betting on dates in June and July.

The BBC has now reported that last week Mr Jack said his comments were “a joke… I was pulling your leg”.

But today he told the broadcaster in a statement that he “did not place any bets on the date of the general election during May”.

Rishi Sunak announced his surprise decision to hold an election earlier than expected on 22 May.

Corbyn slams Assange incarceration ‘grotesque miscarriage of justice'

Tuesday 25 June 2024 19:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Farage wins GBNews presenter award at TRIC

Tuesday 25 June 2024 18:30 , Salma Ouaguira

The Reform UK leader has scooped an award for the best news presenter at the TRIC awards.

What is tactical voting and where has it been encouraged in the 2024 general election?

Tuesday 25 June 2024 18:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Tactical voting is when a voter casts their ballot for the candidate they believe is most likely to defeat another party’s candidate (usually the Conservatives), even if this candidate is not necessarily their first choice.

Some see this as a necessary practice due to the UK’s ‘First Past The Post’ (FPTP) voting system. Under FPTP, it is the candidate who gets the most votes that wins.

It may seem like the most democratic system to decide a winner at first glance, but many argue that FPTP does not always produce results that reflect the political leanings of the area.

You can read more below

What is tactical voting and how could it affect the general election result?

Labour donor claims UK should cease farming on 75% of farmland

Tuesday 25 June 2024 17:30 , Salma Ouaguira

One of Labour’s donors has claimed that the UK should cease farming on 75 per cent of the country’s farmland to “give back to nature”.

Dale Vince, who has donated more than £5 million to Labour’s election campaign, described farming livestock as an “inefficient system”.

He said: “If we all stop eating animals today, tomorrow, whenever in our country, we can free up 75 per cent of that farmland, right?

“And that 75 per cent of 75 per cent, do the maths, that’s half of our entire country that we can give back to nature.”

Steve Barclay, the Environment Secretary, said: “With Labour’s biggest backers wanting to close down farms to rewild them it is clear they simply have no idea about our rural communities.”

Tuesday 25 June 2024 17:22 , Howard Mustoe

Labour suspends parliamentary candidate over betting investigation

Labour has suspended parliamentary candidate Kevin Craig after being told the Gambling Commission has launched an investigation into him.PR boss Craig was standing in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich.

Tory candidate in betting scandal hopes to still be re-elected

Tuesday 25 June 2024 17:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Craig Williams said he remained committed to his campaign to be re-elected as an MP after the Conservatives withdrew their support for him.

He said in his video statement: “In all these things, due process is important and that is what sets the UK apart from other countries, and the commission must be allowed to do its work.

“It’s been a privilege for me to be the Member of Parliament for the constituency where I was born, raised and now live with my young family.

“I have been working hard, helping thousands of constituents with our team with everything from benefits to housing, from potholes to energy bills, as well as securing an unprecedented level of investment in our local businesses, communities and high streets, and finally sticking up for farmers, because without farmers there is no food, and without food there is no future.

“For now, however, the most important thing I want to say to you today is I am committed to my campaign to be elected as your Member of Parliament and your staunch champion.”

Watch: Lib Dem leader Ed Davey cries as he shares struggles of caring for his disabled son

Tuesday 25 June 2024 16:30 , Salma Ouaguira

Activists defecate Rishi Sunak’s private lake

Tuesday 25 June 2024 16:10 , Salma Ouaguira

Ask a SNP candidate anything in exclusive Q&A session

Tuesday 25 June 2024 16:00 , Salma Ouaguira

The Independent is giving readers the chance to chat directly with candidates from some of the major political parties in a special general election series of Ask Me Anything events.

In one question and answer session, our community will be able to chat exclusively with SNP candidate Drew Hendry, who is looking to hold his seat on July 4.

In its manifesto, the party makes it plain that it wants to rejoin the European Union and the single market, and “reverse the damage of Brexit”.

That only looks likely to be an option if Scotland becomes independent, so it’s unsurprising that the SNP is also pledging to “intensify” the pressure to secure Scottish independence.

If you have a question about the SNP’s manifesto, pledges or policies submit it here.

Voters believe betting scandal candidates should be suspended

Tuesday 25 June 2024 15:49 , Salma Ouaguira

Voters think candidates who had placed bets on the election date should be barred from standing, Kate Devlin reports.

Two thirds of the public, 63 per cent, say candidates who placed bets on the date of the general election should not be allowed to stand.

And more than half, 54 per cent, of Conservative voters agree.

The Savanta research was carried out between 21 and 24 June, before today’s announcement the Tories were withdrawing their support for Craig Williams and Laura Saunders.

Chicken runs, boundary changes and a battle of economists: On the campaign trail in new constituency Hitchin

Tuesday 25 June 2024 15:39 , Salma Ouaguira

Chicken runs and boundary changes: On the campaign trail in new constituency Hitchin

Tory chairman’s campaign leaflets sent to wrong constituency

Tuesday 25 June 2024 15:34 , Salma Ouaguira

Hundreds of campaign leaflets for the chairman of the Conservative party Richard Holden have been sent to the wrong constituency, the BBC reports.

The party has admitted the mistake was out of their control but it did not confirm how many were lost.

Mr Holden, who oversees the national party campaigning, has seen his election material end up in Rayleigh and Wickford.

He confirmed that just a “few hundred” leaflets were misplaced but some party insiders have admitted it is more like thousands.

Craig Williams speaks up after being suspended from Conservative party

Tuesday 25 June 2024 15:27 , Salma Ouaguira

The candidate for Montgomeryshire, who has been dropped by the Tories as a candidate over bettingon the election timing, has admitted he committed a mistake.

Craig Williams said he remained on the ballot paper and intended to clear his name after being dropped by the Conservatives over betting on the date of the General Election.

In a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Williams said: “I just want a quick message to the constituents of Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr. I remain on the ballot paper come July 4 and I hope to secure your support after years of delivery.

“I committed an error of judgment, not an offence, and I want to reiterate my apology directly to you.

“I am fully co-operating with routine inquiries from the Gambling Commission and I intend to clear my name.”

Faiza Shaheen accuses Labour of telling ‘vicious lies’ about her deselection

Tuesday 25 June 2024 15:24 , Salma Ouaguira

The former candidate, who is now running as an independent after being dropped from the party, claims Labour members are spreading “vicious lies” about her deselection.

Ms Shaheen claims the party told voters she was suspended for “more serious reasons”.

Akshata Murty joins Jeremy Hunt in the campaign trail

Tuesday 25 June 2024 15:13 , Salma Ouaguira

Gething: ‘If a professional footballer had placed a bet, he’d be banned'

Tuesday 25 June 2024 15:06 , Salma Ouaguira

Vaughan Gething has said that a footballer would be banned from the game if they placed a bet in the way Conservative candidates have been accused of doing.

Responding to a question from Conservative MS Natasha Asghar on his own integrity at FMQs on Tuesday, Mr Gething said: “If you really want to talk about scandals – and today is a day to do that, is it not, Natasha Asghar – look at former Conservative Senedd staffer Craig Williams, now finally junked as a Conservative candidate.

The first minister of Wales added: “And let’s be clear if a professional footballer had placed a bet in the way that Craig Williams did, he’d be banned from the game.

“That’s what would happen.”

Exclusive: EU could have learnt from Habsburgs to avoid Brexit, says descendant

Tuesday 25 June 2024 14:58 , Salma Ouaguira

If EU learnt from Habsburg empire Brexit might not have happened, says descendant

Osborne slams Sunak’s betting scandal response ‘totally inadequate’

Tuesday 25 June 2024 14:55 , Salma Ouaguira

George Osborne has criticised Rishi Sunak’s response to the Tory betting scandal as “totally inadequeate” and branded the prime minister nor a “real political leader”.

Speaking on his Political Currency podcast the former Conservative chancellor said: “What Rishi Sunak consistently fails to do is take difficult situations and try and turn them, if not to your advantage, at least to try and illustrate some of your strengths.

“When you’re in a room and you’ve got a scandal emerging you’ve got a choice which is to try and muddle through, and it almost always never works.

“You think you can hide away and that’s presumably what Sunak’s thinking.

“Or you try and turn the thing into a moment for you. That’s the kind of raw instinct that I think real political leaders, real strong prime ministers have.”

Nigel Farage attends the TRI Awards

Tuesday 25 June 2024 14:48 , Salma Ouaguira

Who is Keir Starmer’s wife? As her neighbour, this is what I know...

Tuesday 25 June 2024 14:38 , Salma Ouaguira

Who is Keir Starmer’s wife Victoria? As her neighbour, this is what I know...

Poll: Reform falls as Labour and Tories’ support rises

Tuesday 25 June 2024 15:06 , Salma Ouaguira

Breaking: Five more Met officers accused of placing bets

Tuesday 25 June 2024 14:29 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Gambling Commission has passed information to the Metropolitan Police alleging five more officers placed bets related to the timing of the General Election, the force said.

Poll confirms Reform lead over Tories despite Farage’s Putin comments

Tuesday 25 June 2024 14:28 , Salma Ouaguira

A shock new poll appears to have confirmed that Reform holds a narrow lead over the Tories with just 10 days to go before the general election, our Political editor David Maddox reports.

According to the Redfield and Wilton survey of 10,000 voters polled after Nigel Farage made his comments blaming the west for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, his Reform UK are one point ahead of the Tories both unchanged on 19 percent and 18 percent.

The findings have all top three parties unchanged from the survey on 19 and 20 June last week with Labour on top on 42 percent.

Redfield and Wilton’s director of research Philip van Scheltinga told The Independent that the size of the survey meant “it was a very robust sample”.

You can read The Independent full story here

Everything we know about Tory election betting scandal

Tuesday 25 June 2024 14:18 , Salma Ouaguira

Everything we know about Tory election betting scandal

JK Rowling to meet Labour but demands Rayner to apologise

Tuesday 25 June 2024 14:08 , Salma Ouaguira

JK Rowling has agreed to meet Labour on the condition that Angela Rayner apologises for backing claims that Woman’s Place and LGB Alliance are “hate groups”.

Rachel Reeves offered the Harry Potter author a meeting to provide “assurances” over the protection of women-only spaces in response.

Responding to Ms Reeves’ invitation, Ms Rowling said: “I’ll be happy to meet after Keep Prisons Single Sex, Lesbian Labour, Women’s Rights Network, Woman’s Place and the LGB Alliance have been given in-person meetings with the Labour leadership.

“I’d also like to know whether Angela Rayner still considers the last two organisations hate groups – asking on behalf of female survivors of domestic violence and gay people who don’t subscribe to gender identity ideology.”

Suspended Tories can’t be removed from ballot paper

Tuesday 25 June 2024 13:58 , Salma Ouaguira

The Association of Electoral Administrators, commenting on the Conservatives withdrawing support from two candidates, said: “When a validly nominated political party candidate has their party’s support withdrawn after an election nomination deadline has passed, there is no legal mechanism to remove their name from the ballot paper.

“If a candidate in these circumstances has opted to include a political party description and emblem on the ballot paper, by law this must also still be included.

“The bottom line is the returning officer has no legal powers to amend the ballot paper or stop the election. Everything must continue as planned in line with electoral law.”

The AEA added: “If the candidate is elected, the result would stand. They would take office in the usual way and could either serve as an independent member of parliament, join a political party or resign their seat.

“If an elected MP changes party affiliation a by-election is not automatically triggered. If an MP chooses to resign, a by-election would be held, and if they so wished they could stand again as an independent candidate or for another political party.”