British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faced calls for an investigation on Thursday after a member of his security detail was arrested for arguing about the timing of the general election.
A security officer is being investigated by the Gambling Commission about the allegations, said the London Metropolitan Police.
Regulators said Conservative Party candidate Craig Williams, who served as Sunak’s assistant minister, had disputed when the election would be held.
Second party candidate Laura Saunders is also being investigated for rigging on vote day, the BBC reported on Wednesday night.
According to the broadcaster, Saunders is married to the Tories’ campaign manager.
The Conservative Party confirmed that the commission had contacted “a small number of people” without elaborating.
Senior Minister Michael Gove told the BBC on Thursday that he could not comment on specific allegations, but said the “broad principle” of using insider information to fuel the controversy was inappropriate.
Daisy Cooper, deputy leader of the small opposition Liberal Democrats, ordered an inquiry into the altar.
“This is getting worse and we need answers. We need an investigation to find out who knew what and when,” he said.
Sunak has surprised his own party by announcing that the general election will be held on July 4, with six months to vote.
Tory is expected to step down after 14 years in office, and opinion polls put him 20 points ahead of the main opposition Labor Party.
Two opinion polls published on Wednesday predicted a record victory for Labour, even equaling former leader Tony Blair’s 1997 victory, and a historic drubbing for the Tories.
Pollster YouGov said the Conservatives, the party of Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill, could end up with “the lowest number of seats in the party’s 200-year history”.
The Tory campaign has come under fire for several criticisms of the shrine’s decision to leave early, including a photo call in Belfast, near where the Titanic was built.
The show’s already dire personal ratings hit after it pulled out of international events marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
The Met said the officer, a member of the Royal Protection Command and the Force Professional, was no longer on duty.
The officer was arrested on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office and later released on bail pending investigations.
The agency was sent to conduct independent policing, the watchdog confirmed.
The allegations against Williams came to light last week. Three days before the election, the party said it bet 100 pounds ($127) on the July election.
Senate and other party leaders, including Labour’s Keir Starmer, took part in a televised pre-election grilling late on Thursday.
UK’s Sunak faces call for election date betting probe
