Rishi Sunak has vowed to boot out Tories if they are found to have broken betting rules as his party finds itself embroiled in yet another scandal.
The Prime Minister said he was “incredibly angry to learn” of the allegations that a string of people with links to the Conservative Party or No 10 bet on the timing of the July 4 contest before he announced it.
Concerns over political insiders profiting from the election date could overshadow his campaigning on Friday, when he is at the Welsh Conservative manifesto launch in Kinmel Bay.
Mr Sunak was asked during a bruising appearance on Thursday night’s BBC Question Time leaders’ special whether the betting allegations were “the absolute epitome of the lack of ethics” displayed by the Conservative Party in recent years.
The Prime Minister replied: “I was incredibly angry – incredibly angry – to learn of these allegations.
“It’s a really serious matter. It’s right that they’re being investigated properly by the relevant law enforcement authorities, including … a criminal investigation by the police.
“I want to be crystal clear that if anyone has broken the rules, they should face the full force of the law.”
Earlier this year Sunak said he is “not a betting person” when he was confronted about his controversial Rwanda wager with Piers Morgan – but clips have emerged since suggesting not even that is true.
The PM recently boasted about his love of spread betting on Test Match Special, which could be apropos of nothing, but still…
Related: ‘Flutter shambles’: Tory betting scandal dominates front pages