Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak’s ex-parliamentary aide Craig Williams and 14 others have been charged with gambling offences on Monday. They have been allegedly charged with offences relating to bets placed on the expected date of the 2024 general elections.
The UK’s Gambling Commission has stated that an enquiry was started after it came to light in May last year that some members of the then-governing Conservative Party had placed bets on the possible date of the poll – which left the most of the nation surprised when Sunak picked July 4, 2024, as election day.
Williams, Sunak’s ex-parliamentary private secretary and a former Tory MP who had accepted that he had placed a bet on the election date, has now been charged with alleged cheating.
“The Gambling Commission has charged 15 people with offences under the Gambling Act 2005 following an investigation into alleged cheating related to bets placed on the timing of the 2024 general election,” the commission stated this in a statement.
“The investigation, initiated in June last year, focused on 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,” it noted.
Russell George, a Conservative member of the devolved Welsh Senedd, Tony Lee, a former campaign director for the Tories, and his wife, Laura Saunders – also a former Tory election candidate, and Nick Mason, the Conservatives' former chief data officer, are among those charged.
A former police officer, Jeremy Hunt, and other Tory staff or party workers are also among those on the list of charges.
According to a spokesperson of the Opposition Conservative Party, "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," the spokesperson added.
Sunak, now a backbench member of Parliament after the Tories were defeated in the polls, had stated that when he found out about the bets, he was “incredibly angry” and that anyone found to have broken the rules should face the “full consequences of the law”.
The 15 people charged are scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court in London on June 13.
“The Commission, as the independent regulator of gambling in Britain, is committed to protecting consumers and the public, ensuring confidence in the industry, and upholding high standards among licensees,” the commission stated, adding that it will continue to take “robust action” against illegal betting practices.
The Commission has the authority to investigate offences and bring criminal prosecutions under Sections 27 and 28 of the UK’s Gambling Act.
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