Cabinet member Mel Stride suggests MPs should be banned from gambling

The Conservative Party has now withdrawn its support for candidates Craig Williams and Laura Saunders, two of the five people named as being under investigation.

But critics have questioned why Rishi Sunak did not act sooner, noting Mr Williams admitted he “had a flutter” almost a fortnight before he was suspended.

Mr Stride insisted the Prime Minister was “thoroughly angered” by the scandal, which has overshadowed the final full week of the Tories’ general election campaign.

“I am as angry as the Prime Minister is about it and that’s why, after internal inquiries, he took the decision, and I think he was right to do so, to suspend some of those candidates that are standing in the election.”

“I know he has been thoroughly angered by the whole situation. Because, as I say, this is taking up, now, a lot of airtime.

“I know there’s interest in this and there should be. But there should equally be a lot of interest in whether we’re going to have a Conservative government that’s going to get taxes down or a Labour government.”

It came after Mr Jack, who is standing down at the election, was said to have told the BBC that he made £2,100 from betting on June and July election dates.

When the corporation followed up on the remarks, made before the betting scandal emerged, the Cabinet minister initially said they were a “joke”, but he later admitted he had bet on the election date three times, insisting none of those wagers were placed during May.