Sir Keir Starmer said that Rishi Sunak should suspend Laura Saunders as a Tory candidate.
Saunders is under investigation by the Gambling Commission for allegedly betting on the timing of the UK general election. Her husband, head of campaigning for the Tories, has taken a “leave of absence” from his role.
“You’ve got a candidate standing for an election in two weeks who’s involved in this, they’ve got to go,” Starmer said. “It is a real measure of [Sunak’s] . . . lack of leadership.”
“It’s the politics of self-entitlement. Politicians are in it for themselves,” he said.
Labour’s campaign chief Pat McFadden wrote to Sunak stating it appeared his colleagues had “carte blanche” to misuse inside information and urged him to take action.
“Two colleagues of yours who so far stand accused of the same offence — Craig Williams, your PPS [parliamentary private secretary], and Laura Saunders, a member of your CCHQ staff and partner of your campaigns director — are still being allowed to stand as Tory candidates in the election on July 4,” he said.