This is a challenge that all Conservative parliamentary candidates should be happy to meet

The Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for South Devon, Caroline Voaden, has thrown down the gauntlet to her Conservative rival, Anthony Mangnall, asking him whether he condemns the lying and the breaches of the ministerial code by Sunak, Coutinho and others.

We think that all Conservative candidates should be prepared to answer this same question:

Are you, as a former Conservative MP and prospective candidate for the same party, prepared to condemn the behaviour of your colleagues in lying and attempting to blame (and thereby impugn) the independent Civil Service for the substance of that lie [detailed below], both behaviours being breaches of the ministerial code?

Please send this article to your Conservative candidate and let us know what they say. If anything. Some weaselly answer like ‘well, they’re no longer ministers’ simply won’t do.