On Thursday, allegations emerged involving the bodyguard and aides of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and members of the Conservative Party regarding betting on the date of the general election, set for July 4.
An officer from Sunak’s personal security team was initially suspended by the Metropolitan Police, subsequently arrested on charges related to misconduct in public service.
Shortly thereafter, reports surfaced that the UK Gambling Commission was investigating several individuals associated with the ruling Conservatives for allegedly placing bets on the timing of the election. While gambling is legal in the UK, placing bets based on insider information may violate regulations.
“The matter was immediately referred to officers in the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards, who opened an investigation, and the officer was also removed from operational duties,” the Met Police was quoted by the BBC as saying.
“The officer was subsequently arrested on Monday 17 June on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was taken into custody and bailed pending further enquiries,” the Met Police said.
Three days before surprising the nation with an announcement of a summer election instead of the expected autumn date, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s close parliamentary aide Craig Williams placed a GBP 100 bet with Ladbrokes at odds of five to one. This revelation was reported by The Guardian last week.
The 39-year-old Williams, who is the Conservative Party’s candidate for Glyndwr in Wales and Montgomeryshire, expressed his willingness to “fully cooperate with these” and acknowledged that his “flutter” on the election had prompted “routine inquiries,” as stated.
“I don’t want it to be a distraction from the campaign. I should have thought through how it looks,” he said.
Subsequently, it has been revealed that another Conservative candidate is also being scrutinized for allegedly placing bets on the timing of the general election. This candidate is married to the party’s director of campaigns, who is assumed to possess expertise in election matters. While the Gambling Commission is reportedly investigating Laura Saunders, the Conservative candidate for Bristol North West, her husband Tony Lee has reportedly opted to take “a leave of absence” from his role.
“The Gambling Commission regulates gambling in the interests of consumers and the wider public,” a commission spokesperson said.
According to Section 42 of the UK’s Gambling Act 2005, it is unlawful to engage in cheating or to conduct any activity that promotes cheating. The Conservative Party has stated that it would not be “proper to comment further, until any process is concluded,” citing the independence of the Gambling Commission as the regulatory body overseeing the matter.
However, Sunak faces growing pressure from the Labour Party opposition, led by Keir Starmer, who has demanded the suspension of Saunders and criticized the lack of action, describing it as “very telling.”
“If it was one of my candidates, they’d be gone and their feet would not have touched the floor,” he said.
When asked about the initial accusation against Craig Williams last week during the G7 Summit in Italy, Sunak described it as “very disappointing news” and that it “wouldn’t be appropriate for me to comment” while the Gambling Commission conducted its investigation.
This comes as the embattled Conservatives face challenges in pre-election polls, with most analyses forecasting significant losses for the ruling party.