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Sir Keir Starmer accuses Rishi Sunak of kicking gambling allegations ‘into the long grass’
Sir Keir Starmer said Rishi Sunak’s parallel investigation into election gambling allegations was an effort to knock the story “into the long grass” and showed a “total failure of leadership”. “He’s announced an investigation, an investigation designed for one purpose, which is to knock this in the long grass to the other side of the election,” Sir Keir said during a stump speech at Northampton Town Football Club. An investigation should already have been carried out, Sir Keir said, adding: “It would take half an hour. Who knew? Did you place a bet? That’s it.” He added: “The desperation over this betting story that’s going around – it goes to the heart of what the Tories have become when their first instinct in relation to a general election is not how to serve the country, how do I get the message out, it’s how quickly can I get to the bookies and make some money.”