Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Tories in retreat
Meanwhile, the Guardian tells us that a Conservative politician has become the fifth party figure to be investigated by the gambling watchdog for allegedly placing a suspicious bet on the general election date, as the developing scandal continues to overshadow Rishi Sunak’s campaign.
They say that The Gambling Commission has informed Russell George, a Tory member of the Welsh parliament who represents the same constituency as Sunak’s closest parliamentary aide Craig Williams, that he is part of its inquiry.
And even Labour is getting in on the act, with the party announcing it was suspending the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich candidate Kevin Craig after the Gambling Commission launched an investigation'
Craig, who is a lobbyist and expert in political crisis management, confirmed that he was under investigation for betting that he would not win his own constituency. Labour said it would now return £100,000 he had donated to the party under Keir Starmer’s leadership, while the shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, would give back £13,000 donated for staffing costs.
Meanwhile, in the election campaign itself, the feeling that the Tories are under siege and in retreat is growing. The Guardian reports that the party is rerouting resources to defend at least three seats held by cabinet ministers with majorities of more than 20,000 as the party falls back to safer ground:
Tory activists and candidates in nearby areas have been diverted to campaign for James Cleverly, the home secretary, Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, and Steve Barclay, the environment secretary.
Cleverly held his Braintree constituency by 24,673 votes in 2019, but some senior Tories believe the Essex seat, which elected Labour MPs in 1997 and 2001, could be vulnerable.
Barclay held his North East Cambridgeshire seat by 29,993 votes in 2019 and Dowden held Hertsmere in Hertfordshire by 21,313. Neither constituency has ever returned a Labour MP before.
All three seats are in the southern Tory heartlands, which Labour is heavily targeting at this election. They have been altered by the boundary review, but still have Conservative majorities of more than 20,000, according to 2019 modelled results for new boundaries.
There is even talk of the Prime Ministers seat being under threat. How this works out in the end is difficult to say, but the feeling on the doorsteps is that a lot of people are disillusioned and uncertain how to vote, if they'll vote at all. It is all there to play for.
Craig, who is a lobbyist and expert in political crisis management, confirmed that he was under investigation for betting that he would not win his own constituency. Labour said it would now return £100,000 he had donated to the party under Keir Starmer’s leadership, while the shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, would give back £13,000 donated for staffing costs.
Meanwhile, in the election campaign itself, the feeling that the Tories are under siege and in retreat is growing. The Guardian reports that the party is rerouting resources to defend at least three seats held by cabinet ministers with majorities of more than 20,000 as the party falls back to safer ground:
Tory activists and candidates in nearby areas have been diverted to campaign for James Cleverly, the home secretary, Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, and Steve Barclay, the environment secretary.
Cleverly held his Braintree constituency by 24,673 votes in 2019, but some senior Tories believe the Essex seat, which elected Labour MPs in 1997 and 2001, could be vulnerable.
Barclay held his North East Cambridgeshire seat by 29,993 votes in 2019 and Dowden held Hertsmere in Hertfordshire by 21,313. Neither constituency has ever returned a Labour MP before.
All three seats are in the southern Tory heartlands, which Labour is heavily targeting at this election. They have been altered by the boundary review, but still have Conservative majorities of more than 20,000, according to 2019 modelled results for new boundaries.
There is even talk of the Prime Ministers seat being under threat. How this works out in the end is difficult to say, but the feeling on the doorsteps is that a lot of people are disillusioned and uncertain how to vote, if they'll vote at all. It is all there to play for.
