Fourth conservative official reportedly investigated for election betting

A fourth Tory would be investigated by the Gambling Commission for bets allegedly placed on the date of the general election.

The Sunday Times reports that the party’s head of data, Nick Mason, is alleged to have placed dozens of bets which the newspaper claims could have resulted in winnings of thousands of pounds.

A spokesperson for Mr Mason told the newspaper he had denied any wrongdoing, while the Conservative Party said he was “not authorized to discuss matters relating to” a Commission of Investigation investigation. games of chance.

The BBC previously reported that two Conservative candidates and another party official were also under investigation.

The Liberal Democrats accused the Conservatives of being “mired” in corruption, while Conservative minister Michael Gove compared the situation to the partygate scandal.

Laura Saunders and Craig Williams have confirmed they are under investigation by the Gambling Commission.

Laura Saunders, the party’s candidate for Bristol North West, has worked for the Conservatives since 2015.

Ms Saunders’ partner is Conservative campaign manager Tony Lee, who is also under investigation over an alleged bet. He took a leave of absence from his job.

Allegations of election date gambling have been leveled against one of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s closest aides, Craig Williams, who allegedly placed a £100 bet on July polling day, three days before the scheduled date .

Mr Williams, who was Conservative MP for Montgomery until the election was called and is standing again in the new Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr constituency, has previously apologized and said he had made a “huge error of judgement”.

Asked by the BBC, he refused to say whether he had placed a bet based on inside information.

Following the latest allegation, a Conservative spokesperson said: “In accordance with instructions from the Gambling Commission, we are not permitted to discuss matters relating to an investigation with the subject or any other person. »

Last week, Mr Sunak said he had been “incredibly angry” upon learning of the allegations, vowing to “expel” anyone found guilty of breaking the Conservative Party’s gambling laws.

Mr Sunak announced July 4 as the date for the May 22 general election, taking much of Westminster by surprise.

If someone uses confidential information to gain an unfair advantage when betting, this could constitute a criminal offense under section 42 of the Gambling Act.

A spokesperson for the Gambling Commission confirmed to the BBC that it was “investigating the possibility of infringements relating to the election date”.

The Commission also said it could not provide further details about the investigation or who is being investigated because it is an ongoing process.

“We neither confirm nor deny the identities of the individuals involved in this investigation,” he added.

Both Labor and the Liberal Democrats have previously called for Ms Saunders and Mr Williams to be suspended as Conservative candidates.

On Saturday evening, the Liberal Democrats again called on the Prime Minister, Mr Sunak, to suspend all those under investigation.

Deputy party leader Daisy Cooper said the Prime Minister must launch a Cabinet Office investigation into the reports, which she described as a “total scandal at the heart of the Conservative Party”.

“People have had enough of this sordidness. Day after day, hour after hour, the Conservative government gets further bogged down,” she said.

Housing Secretary Mr Gove condemned the latest reports and compared the controversy to Partygate during the Covid-19 crisis.

“It looks like a rule for them and a rule for us,” the conservative minister, who will not stand for re-election, told the Sunday Times.

Labor is yet to respond to these latest allegations, but party leader Sir Keir Starmer has previously said that anyone accused of similar behavior within its ranks would “go away and their feet would be taken away.” didn’t touch the ground.

It also emerged that a police officer working in the prime minister’s close protection team had been arrested following allegations of betting on the election timetable.

The officer was first suspended by the Metropolitan Police and then arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

The individual has been released on bail pending further inquiries.

The Met was contacted by the Gambling Commission last Friday. He informed police he was investigating alleged betting by a police officer from the Met’s Royalty and Specialist Protection Command.