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      Trevor Phillips and James Cleverly clash over Rishi Sunak’s response to election betting scandal

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      Trevor Phillips and James Cleverly clashed over allegations that a string of people with links to the Conservative Party or Number 10 bet on the timing of the general election before Rishi Sunak announced it.The Sky News presenter quizzed Mr Cleverly on why the prime minister had not sacked those alleged to be involved.When questioned on why Mr Sunak has not asked those alleged to be involved if they placed bets or not, and sack them if they answered yes, Mr Cleverly responded that was the Gambling Commission’s responsiblity.This prompted Mr Phillips to interject, telling the politician: “No – he’s the prime minister. These people work for him. He can do whatever he wants.” More

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      Tory aide describing Rwanda policy as ‘cr**’ was for dramatic effect, says Cleverly

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      A Conservative aide who described the government’s Rwanda policy as “crap” was doing so for “dramatic effect,” James Cleverly has said.James Sunderland, a Tory candidate and Mr Cleverly’s parliamentary private secretary, asked if anyone has their phones on before making the remark, in a leaked recording obtained by the BBC and published by the Labour Party.Mr Cleverly told Trevor Phillips that Mr Sunderland was “very supportive” of the policy.“He was saying that the impact, the effect, is what matters.”Mr Cleverly added: “He did it clearly for dramatic effect to grab the attention of the audience.” More

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      Listen: Tory aide describes Rwanda policy as ‘cr**’ in leaked recording

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      A Conservative parliamentary candidate and aide to James Cleverly described the government’s Rwanda plan as “crap” in a leaked recording.James Sunderland, Mr Cleverly’s parliamentary private secretary, asks if anyone has their phones on before making the remark, in audio obtained by the BBC and published by the Labour Party.Mr Sunderland continued by defending the plan and saying it would deter migrants from attempting to cross the Channel.“But it’s not about the policy. It’s about the effect of the policy. It’s the second- or third-order effects,” he added.Mr Cleverly told Sky News his aide was putting forward a “very counterintuitive statement” to grab the attention of the audience. More

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      Farage accused of ‘playing into Putin’s hands’ as he doubles down on Ukraine invasion comments

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      Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer have led criticism of Nigel Farage after the Reform UK leader claimed that the West “provoked” Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.It did not stop Mr Farage from doubling down on his comments, originally made in a BBC Panorama interview which aired on Friday night, in a column piece on Saturday afternoon for the Daily Telegraph, claiming that he should “not be blamed for telling the truth about Putin’s war”. Asked about the remarks during an election campaign visit in London on Saturday, prime minister Mr Sunak suggested Mr Farage was “emboldening Putin”.“What [Mr Farage] said was completely wrong and only plays into Putin’s hands,” he said.“This is a man [Mr Putin] who deployed nerve agent on the streets of Britain, who is doing deals with countries like North Korea, and this kind of appeasement is dangerous for Britain’s security, the security of our allies that rely on us, and only emboldens Putin further.”Sir Keir, speaking at another campaign event in the capital, said: “Anyone who is standing for parliament ought to be really clear that Russia is the aggressor, Putin bears responsibility, and that we stand with Ukraine, as we have done from the beginning of this conflict.Nigel Farage drew a link between Nato and European Union expansion in recent decades and the conflict in eastern Europe More

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      Tories believe Sunak ‘has given up’ after surprise auction lot admission at fundraiser

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      Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak appeared to pull up the white flag of surrender at the party’s summer garden party fundraiser with what guests saw as an admission that he will not be prime minister after 4 July.The event at Hurlingham Club, one of London’s most exclusive venues, on Thursday, was meant to be one of the party’s major fundraisers during the year, and came in the middle of an election campaign where the Tories have, according to insiders, run out of money.Mr Sunak was due to attend but because of the BBC Question Time event only appeared by video message instead while other cabinet ministers made an appearance.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaking on the campaign trail (Aaron Chown/PA) More

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      Labour to target embattled Sunak over ‘dirty dozen’ Tory candidates

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      Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailLabour are set to launch a social media campaign aimed at questioning Rishi Sunak’s judgement by ramping up pressure for him to suspend 12 candidates caught up in different controversies including the betting scandal.The new campaign will feature an unnamed cabinet minister who allegedly put a bet on the election date, and 11 named Tory candidates involved in a range of issues highlighted in the campaign.With Labour more than 20 points ahead in most polls currently, they want to go for the jugular over Mr Sunak’s decision not to suspend candidates from his party.Labour are targeting Rishi Sunak over controversies surrounding these 12 candidates More

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      How Sir Keir Starmer set a trap for Boris Johnson over Partygate scandal

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      Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSir Keir Starmer has set out for the first time how he laid a trap for Boris Johnson over Partygate, luring the former prime minister into the lies that saw him forced out of parliament.The Labour leader, and Britain’s former chief prosecutor, said he knew Mr Johnson’s instinct under pressure was to lie and detailed how he “forensically” led the then prime minister into misleading the House of Commons.Mr Johnson sensationally quit as an MP last summer before facing the verdict of parliament’s privileges committee, which was to rule he lied about the scandal of lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street.Sir Keir Starmer has set out how he forensically trapped Boris Johnson in a web of lies over Partygate More

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      Sunak accuses Farage of ‘playing into Putin’s hands’ with Ukraine comments

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      Rishi Sunak has accused Nigel Farage of “playing into [Vladimir] Putin’s hands” with his claim that the West provoked Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.The Reform UK leader claimed “we provoked this war” in a BBC Panorama interview, while drawing a link between Nato and European Union expansion in recent decades and the conflict in eastern Europe.Mr Farage’s claim was “completely wrong,” the prime minister told reporters on Saturday, 22 June.“This is a man [Mr Putin] who deployed nerve agent on the streets of Britain, who is doing deals with countries like North Korea, and this kind of appeasement is dangerous for Britain’s security, the security of our allies that rely on us, and only emboldens Putin further,” Mr Sunak added. More