James Cracknell, who is standing to be a Conservative MP, has called the Tories a “shower of shit”, in a video he posted on Facebook. The former Olympic rower, who is the Conservative candidate for the key Labour target of Colchester, said: “Two weeks out from the Olympics, if we are competing against the Conservative party my teammates and I would be saying they are a shower of shit. “And if one of my teammates got caught for cheating they’d be dead to me. That abuse of trust is unforgivable.” His comments emerged over the weekend as more allegations surfaced that Tory candidates and officials bet on the date of the general election before Rishi Sunak announced it. The Gambling Commission is reportedly investigating two candidates, Craig Williams and Laura Saunders, as well as Saunders’ husband, Tony Lee, the Conservative party’s campaigns director, and Nick Mason, the party’s chief data officer, who has denied wrongdoing. Sunak told journalists on Monday that he was not aware of any other candidates being under investigation, although he also said that the commission did not talk about the people it was investigating. Cracknell is competing to retain the seat, which had a majority of more than 9,000 under the previous MP, Will Quince, but polls indicate it is likely to be won by Labour for the first time since 1945.
He said he was still fighting for the seat because he believed in the party’s values. “Why am I still canvassing and delivering leaflets? Because I believe the Conservative way is the best for the country. Freedom to succeed, protection of our national security and personal responsibility.” In a Guardian interview this week, Cracknell said he would be an outspoken politician. “I’m not going to stand up and blindly defend things that have gone on in the past that I don’t agree with. I’ve a pretty strong moral compass, and believe in right or wrong, and there’s things that have been wrong,” he said. “I’m just going to be really honest if I agree with something or not. That may annoy some people in central office, but I’m fighting to represent the people of Colchester and they’re my priority.” Cracknell won a gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and another four years later in Athens. After he retired he embarked on a successful career as an endurance champion and television personality. In 2010, he suffered a traumatic brain injury while cycling and only survived because he was wearing a helmet.