Rishi Sunak’s failure to suspend the alleged players is a bet that could backfire

TThe Conservative Party appears to have reached a point where it has lost its ability to be ruthless in its pursuit of and retention of power.

The party’s two parliamentary candidates, accused of using insider knowledge to place bets on the next election date, are being investigated by the Gambling Commission. One of them, Craig Williams, who is running in Montgomeryshire, even admits to having made a “major error of judgement”.

The other, Laura Saunders, who is seeking to become MP for Bristol North West, has said she may sue the BBC, which broke the story, for “breach of privacy rights”. Her lawyer says: “As the Conservative Party has already stated, the investigation is ongoing. Ms Saunders will work with the Gambling Commission and has nothing further to add.”