Is this the Tory death spiral?

An election-betting scandal is sending the Tory campaign into freefall. The latest blow to the Conservatives comes as some polls predict a wipeout for the party on July 4. The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars Stephen Bush and Jim Pickard to discuss this latest blow in a campaign littered with blunders. Plus, the team analyses the effect of the Reform party on the Tory vote and what might happen after the election. Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, Jim @PickardJE. Stephen @stephenkbWant more? Free links:Unusual burst of bets preceded Rishi Sunak’s election announcement‘Every Tory I know is angry’: betting scandal sends election campaign into ‘freefall’Potential routes forward for the Tories post-electionTory leadership hopefuls jostle to replace Rishi SunakKeir Starmer: ‘People need hope, but it needs to be realistic hope’Sketchy Politics: the extinction election?Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's Inside Politics newsletter, winner of the World Association of News Publishers 2023 ‘Best Newsletter’ award. Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Audrey Tinline with Leah Quinn and Josh Gabert-Doyon.Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Original music and audio mix by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.