Following news that the Conservatives have suspended its Montgomeryshire MP candidate Craig Williams, we asked people on the streets of Welshpool for their views.

On June 25, the Conservative Party announced that they would be withdrawing support for two candidates over under investigation over bets placed around the General Election.

Montgomeryshire candidate Craig Williams, who had served as the constituency’s MP since 2019 and was considered a likely winner at next week's poll.

Now however he has seen his party's backing withdrawn.

READ MORE: LIVE: Conservatives withdraw support for Craig Williams amid betting probe

We spoke to local people in Welshpool, where the Montgomeryshire Conservative Association is based, to ask residents what they made of the news.

Welshpool resident George Tipton said: “I think it’s disgusting. It’s clear that somewhere along the line someone passed on information for a date in July that no one else was expecting or predicting.

“We’re putting our trust in these people to represent us and yet they’ve shown they are not going to abide by the same rules and standards that everyone else has to.”

Lesley Farrerr, who said she had previously planned to vote for Mr Williams, added: “I’m disappointed by the whole thing.

"He seemed like a decent representative to me before the whole betting scandal. But since it came out I’d already decided I wouldn’t be voting Tory or for him.”

“I think it’s a very silly thing for him to have done,” said Margaret Williams as she was out and about in High Street.

“He couldn’t have done it as a worse time because what looked like a sure win has become a really divided seat in terms of who might get it.”

READ MORE: What does Craig Williams losing Conservative Party support mean?

Voters who weren’t planning on supporting the Conservative candidate also had strong opinions on the matter, such as Welshpool resident Peter Curtis.

He said: “I think what he’s done is disgraceful. As a Labour voter I’m delighted to hear that he’s been suspended.

“I think Rishi Sunak took far too long in making that decision, as it should have been made the moment news of what he had done first broke.

“To think that he just placed the bet by going down the road, picking a date that was so far off what experts were predicting, days before Sunak officially announced it. Of course it was going to set off some red flags.”