Secretary of State for Wales David TC Davies has said candidates accused of gambling over the general election should be booted out of the party.

The senior Tory minister echoed what Rishi Sunak said during the BBC’s Question Time programme on Thursday night and added “I couldn’t agree more with him”.

After he admits voters are disheartened by recent Tory rows and scandals, he claims that this is a widespread issue.

A former Conservative minister has vowed to vote Labour for the first time after Rishi Sunak’s decision to “side with climate deniers”.

Chris Skidmore, who quit the Cabinet in protests against the handling of the climate crisis, has accused the prime minister of “politicising” the transition to clean energy.

Mr Skidmore wrote in The Guardian: “For the first time, I cannot vote for a party that has boasted of new oil and gas licences in its manifesto or that now argues that net zero is a burden and not a benefit.

“Instead, like many others who know that we have neither choice nor any more time, and need to tackle the climate crisis now, I have decided that the Labour Party is best placed to achieve economic growth and the green industrial revolution.

“Net zero is one of its five key priorities, and for this reason I will be voting Labour at this election.”

Here is the schedule to the main developments in the general election campaign today:

• Rishi Sunak is campaigning in north Wales where he will launch the Welsh Tory manifesto.

• Sir Keir Starmer and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar are set visit a Scottish business.

• Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner is in the West Midlands meeting voters.

• Sir Ed Davey is expected to visit a college in Harrogate in the morning and a railway station in York in the evening.

• Nigel Farage continues his campaign in Clacton. The Reform UK leader will be interviewed by BBC’s Nick Robinson tonight at 7pm.