General election – latest: Tory data chief Nick Mason investigated for alleged betting on poll date

Rishi Sunak must personally intervene in the 'widespread scandal' of Tory candidates and officials being investigated for betting on the election date before it was made public, the Liberal Democrats have said .

Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “This is now a widespread scandal at the heart of Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party.

“Sunak must personally intervene to order a Cabinet Office investigation and suspend everyone under investigation by the Gambling Commission.

“People are fed up with this sleaze. Day after day, hour after hour, the Conservative government is getting more and more bogged down in this situation.

“From the mini-budget to the crisis in our NHS, the Tories have bet against Britain. Today, people are voting Liberal Democrats to bring about the change our country desperately needs. »

The Conservative Party's data chief has become the fourth person to be investigated for allegedly betting on the date of the general election, with senior Tories saying the fallout from the scandal is as serious as that of coronavirus.

Nick Mason has been forced to take leave after becoming the latest Conservative to be investigated by the Gambling Commission for allegedly betting on the election timetable before the date was announced.

Dame Priti Patel said the Conservative Party should “always promote” low taxes.

The former interior minister said the Conservatives must always promote an environment in which “the country's entrepreneurs and wealth creators” could flourish.

She claimed voters “should not be fooled” by Sir Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves over their promises to prioritize “wealth creation”.

“It’s just a glossy veneer and a smokescreen that hides their plans to tax businesses, markets and investments to pay for their bankrupt policies,” she said.

Sir Keir Starmer's party estimates it can raise some £1.6 billion a year by ending the 20 per cent VAT holiday as part of its plan to recruit around 6,500 specialist teachers to state schools in England.

Campaigners are demanding citizenship be granted to all families affected by the Home Office's Windrush scandal within the first 100 days of the new government.

Ahead of Windrush Day celebrations on Saturday, a coalition of anti-racism associations and groups unveiled a 'Home Office Scandal Manifesto', outlining the key demands of new ministers following the general election on 4 July.

A new poll predicts Labor is on the verge of a “truly historic” general election victory.

Pollster Savanta, in an exclusive survey for The telegraphshowed Labor on 42 percent (up two points), the Conservatives on 19 percent and Reform on 16 percent (up two).

This is the third consecutive poll in which the Reform Party has achieved its highest share in a Savanta poll since the party's official creation in January 2021.

Emma Levin, associate director of Savanta, said: “Our research suggests we could be watching the collapse of the Conservative Party in real time. This is the lowest conservative vote share ever recorded in a Savanta poll, the third poll in a row.

“This is partly because Reform UK continues to make gains, at their highest level in a Savanta poll since January 2021.”

She added: “If Labour's vote continues to hold up, while Britain's Reform and Liberal Democrats eat into the Conservatives' support, Keir Starmer's party could be on course for a truly historic election victory. »