Who’s who in the election betting scandal
The election betting scandal continues to grow, with a clutch of political figures in hot water over claims they put wagers on the date of the election.
Alongside Gambling Commission investigations, the Conservative Party has launched its own probe.
So who are the people at the heart of the scandal, what are they accused of – and what have they said?
Craig Williams
Who?
Mr Williams is Rishi Sunak’s closest Commons aide – his eyes and ears in parliament.
He is standing in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, the only Welsh seat the Conservatives were projected to win in last week’s YouGov poll.
What?
Mr Williams reportedly placed a £100 bet on a July election just three days before Mr Sunak announced the election on 22 May.
On 12 June it was first revealed he was being investigated by the Gambling Commission.
On 26 June he was interviewed by Gambling Commission officials – 24 hours after the Conservative Party said it could no longer support his candidacy.
It is understood the commission is now conducting a “live criminal investigation” and Mr Williams could face prosecution, a caution, or no further action, depending on the evidence.
Mr Williams has confirmed he will still stand in the seat he has held since 2019, but as an independent.
What has he said?
On June 12, Mr Williams admitted to putting a “flutter” on the election “some weeks ago” and said he had been contacted by the Gambling Commission.
He made the statement on X after being contacted by a journalist.
Responding to being dropped as a candidate, Mr Williams issued a defiant statement admitting he “committed a serious error of judgement, not an offence” and declaring he would continue to fight to win his seat.
“I am fully cooperating with routine inquiries from the Gambling Commission and I intend to clear my name,” he said.
On X, he reiterated his apology to the public and said he was “fully cooperating” with the Gambling Commission’s inquiry, adding: “I’m committed to my campaign to be elected as your member of parliament and staunch champion”.
Laura Saunders
Pic: Laura Saunders for Bristol North West
Who?
Ms Saunders was the Tory candidate for Bristol North West until the Conservatives withdrew their support for her.
She has worked for the party since 2015.
She is married to Tony Lee, the party’s director of campaigns, who is also caught up in the scandal.
What?
Ms Saunders is being investigated by the Gambling Commission over allegedly betting on the timing of the election.
It is not known how much money Ms Saunders placed or when the bet was made.
The Gambling Commission probe was first reported by the BBC on 20 June.
Like Mr Williams, she is no longer being supported as a Tory candidate as of 25 June.
They will still appear on ballot papers with “Conservative” next to their names as it is too late to change them ahead of next Thursday’s vote.
However, they will have no support for the rest of the campaign from the party and cannot call themselves Conservatives.
Whether she and Mr Williams will remain as Conservatives after the election depends on the outcome of the Gambling Commission’s investigation, it is understood.
What has she said?
In a statement on the day news of the investigation was first reported, she said she will be “cooperating with the Gambling Commission”.
She also said she is considering “legal action against the BBC” claiming their initial story was “premature” and “in breach of her privacy rights”.
Tony Lee
Who?
Mr Lee is the Tory campaign director. He is married to Laura Saunders.
What?
Mr Lee is under investigation along with his wife – similarly, details of the size or timing of the alleged bet are not known.
He has taken a leave of absence from his role.
Nick Mason
Who?
Mr Mason is the Tory party’s chief data officer.
He previously stood as a Tory parliamentary candidate in Jarrow in 2015.
What?
Mr Mason was the fourth Conservative candidate or official to be investigated by the Gambling Commission.
The revelations were first reported on 23 June by The Sunday Times, which claimed dozens of bets had been placed with potential winnings worth thousands of pounds.
He has taken a leave of absence.
What has he said?
A spokesman for Mr Mason said that it would be inappropriate to comment during an investigation but he denies wrongdoing.
He is understood to be cooperating with the investigation.
Alister Jack
Pic: PA
Who?
Conservative cabinet minister Mr Jack was appointed as Secretary of State for Scotland by Boris Johnson in 2019.
He was the MP for Dumfries and Galloway from 2017 and is standing down at this election after seven years in parliament.
What?
Mr Jack has admitted betting on the timing of the election, but denied breaking any rules and said he is not under investigation.
He said in April he had put £20 at odds of 5/1 on an election being held between July and September but had no knowledge of when it would be called until the day Mr Sunak announced it on 22 May.
He said he placed two unsuccessful £5 bets in March for a vote to be held in May and June.
What has he said?
“I am very clear that I have never, on any occasion, broken any Gambling Commission rules,” he said.
“Specifically, I did not place any bets on the date of the general election during May [the period under investigation by the Gambling Commission].
“Furthermore, I am not aware of any family or friends placing bets.
“I want to be absolutely clear I have not breached any gambling rules. I placed two unsuccessful bets on the date of the general election and one successful one.”
Russell George
Pic: Welsh Parliament
Who?
Russell George is a Welsh Conservative member of the Senedd, representing the same constituency as Mr Williams.
What?
He stepped back from the shadow cabinet after it emerged on 25 June he was facing a probe by the Gambling Commission.
A statement from the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, said Mr George would step back from his role as the party’s deputy chief whip in the Senedd while the investigation is ongoing.
Mr Davies said all other members of the Welsh Conservative Group had “confirmed that they have not placed any bets”.
What has he said?
Mr George said he would “cooperate fully” with the investigation.
Kevin Craig
Who?
Kevin Craig was the Labour candidate for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich until the party announced it was suspending him over the betting claims.
It is a safe Conservative seat previously held by ex-Tory Dan Poulter, who defected to Labour ahead of the election and is not standing again.
What?
Mr Craig admitted to betting on the outcome of the election – rather than the timing.
He put a wager on him losing to the Conservatives, leading to an investigation by the Gambling Commission.
Labour confirmed Mr Craig had been suspended by the party – though at this late stage, he will still appear on the ballot paper with “Labour” next to his name.
It is understood Labour will return £100,000 in donations he has made to the party since Sir Keir Starmer took charge.
What has he said?
In a statement on X, Mr Craig said: “A few weeks ago when I thought I would never win this seat I put a bet on the Tories to win here with the intention of giving any winnings to local charities.
“While I did not place this bet with any prior knowledge of the outcome, this was a huge mistake, for which I apologise unreservedly.”
He said he “deeply regretted” his actions and “will comply fully with the investigation”.
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Rishi Sunak’s close protection officer
Who?
The unnamed officer is a member of the Metropolitan Police’s Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP) Command, which provides personal close protection to ministerial VIPs and members of the Royal Family.
What?
He was arrested on 17 June for allegedly betting on the timing of the election.
Sky News understands that several bets were placed, with at least one of them being a three-figure sum.
The arrest came after the Gambling Commission informed the Met Police on Friday 14 June that they were investigating the activity by the police constable.
Currently he is the only person under criminal investigation.
He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and bailed pending further enquiries, the Met said.
Unnamed police officers
Pic: AP
Six other police officers have so far been identified as having placed bets on the timing of the election and are under investigation by the Gambling Commission.
The Met said allegations will be split into two categories.
Bets that are suspected to fall under the cheating section of the Gambling Act will be investigated by the Gambling Commission, and are “likely to make up the majority of cases”.
The gambling watchdog is empowered to bring criminal prosecutions where crimes are suspected to have been committed.
Bets that are suspected to be in breach of the Gambling Act, but with “special features” that could mean other offences could apply, such as misconduct in public office, will be “assessed by the Met’s Specialist Crime Command to determine what further investigation is required”.
“The number of these cases is likely to be much smaller than those in the first category,” the force said.
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The other candidates for Bristol North West are:
Caroline Gooch, Lib Dems
Darren Jones, Labour
Scarlett O’Connor, Reform UK
Mary Page, Green Party
Ben Smith, SDP
The other candidates for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr are:
Jeremy Brignell-Thorp, Green Party
Oliver Lewis, Reform Uk
Glyn Preston, Lib Dems
Elwyn Vaughan, Plaid Cymru
Steve Witherden, Labour
The other candidates for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich are:
Charlie Caiger, independent
Tony Gould, Reform UK
Mike Hallatt, independent
Brett Mickelburgh, Lib Dems
Dan Pratt, Greens
Patrick Spencer, Conservatives
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