Tories play dirty: 15 Sunak allies accused of betting on election date

14 April 2025 , 13:43

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Former Conservative MP Craig Williams and 14 others have been charged with gambling offenses following an investigation into bets placed on the timing of the 2024 General Election

Former Tory MP Craig Williams is among 15 people who have been charged with gambling offences after placing bets into the 2024 general election.

The Gambling Commission launched a probe last summer after explosive claims emerged that a number of campaigners, candidates and others with links to the political world, had allegedly made suspicious bets on the date of the general election. Under the Gambling Act, cheats can be jailed for up to two years.

After a ten-month investigation, 15 people have now been charged and are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court at 10am on June 13, 2025. At least ten of those involved had roles within the Tory party. Any serving Conservative staff members who have been charged are being "suspended with immediate effect", the party said.

Mr Williams was among a number of people linked to the Conservative Party reported to have made bets on the election date, which was called by then-prime minister Rishi Sunak. The former Montgomeryshire MP admitted at the time to having a "flutter" on the election date just days before it was announced in May last year. He insisted he had committed an error of judgment, not an offence and that he intended to "clear my name".

Among others facing charges are Russell George, the Senedd member for Montgomeryshire, Nick Mason, a former chief data officer for the Conservative Party, and Simon Chatfield, director of marketing at the Tory party. Laura Saunders, who had been the Tories’ candidate in Bristol North West before being dropped, and her husband, Tony Lee, the Tory party’s Campaigning Director, have also charged.

Former police officer Jeremy Hunt has also been charged. During the election campaign, a male police officer in Mr Sunak’s close protection team was arrested over an alleged bet on the timing of the General Election. He was suspended from his role before being arrested by police "on suspicion of misconduct in public office". At least seven police officers ended up being investigated at the time. A separate probe by the Met Police was later discontinued.

The Gambling Commission’s investigation looked into individuals suspected of using confidential information - specifically advance knowledge of the proposed election date - to gain an unfair advantage in betting markets. Such actions constitute an offence of cheating under Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005, a criminal offence.

In response to the news of charges, Ellie Reeves, Chair of the Labour Party, said: "This is a very serious development. The British people will expect that anyone found guilty of wrongdoing faces the full force of the law. Kemi Badenoch must make crystal clear that anyone found guilty of using insider information to cheat the system to try to enrich themselves has no place in the Conservative Party. No ifs, no buts."

a Conservative Party spokesman said: “The Conservative Party believes that those working in politics must act with integrity. Current members of staff who have been charged are being suspended with immediate effect. These incidents took place in May last year. Our Party is now under new leadership and we are cooperating fully with the Gambling Commission to ensure that their investigation can conclude swiftly and transparently.”

During last year’s election campaign, Mr Sunak said he was "incredibly angry, incredibly angry, to learn of these allegations" related to the betting scandal. Speaking to the audience at a special election edition of BBC’s Question Time, he said: "It’s a really serious matter - it’s right that they’re being investigated properly by the relevant law enforcement authorities.

"The integrity of that process should be respected. But what I can tell you is if anyone is found to have broken the rules, not only should they face the full consequences of the law, I will make sure that they are booted out of the Conservative Party."