Actor criticised Tory minister’s views on sex and gender and said she should ‘shut up’

• Rishi Sunak faces Keir Starmer in final debate before polling day – live

Keir Starmer has distanced himself from the actor David Tennant after he said Kemi Badenoch should “shut up”.

Tennant told an awards ceremony last week he would like to live in a world where Badenoch, the equalities minister and likely Conservative leadership contender, “doesn’t exist any more”.

‘I think it’s right that we have these robust discussions, but we must do it respectfully,’ Starmer said

• Sign up to our Election Edition daily newsletter

When the Conservatives launched their election campaign five weeks ago, 20 points behind in the polls and on their fourth prime minister in five years, it was unclear how things could get any worse.

The gambling scandal that has engulfed the party has answered that question. The extraordinary row began when the Guardian revealed on 12 June that Craig Williams, Rishi Sunak’s closest parliamentary aide, was under investigation by the Gambling Commission for betting on a July election three days before one was called.