The fall-out from July’s election betting scandal continues to rumble on with a group of up to five people – including a politician – facing the possibility of criminal charges.
According to Sky News, who refused to name their source, an investigation conducted by the Gambling Commission could lead to police arresting ‘at least three suspects, but possibly up to five.’
And of that group, one is said to be a former or current MP, while another is thought to be a senior politician’s personal security officer.
If they have been found guilty of breaching the Gambling Act, they could face up to two years in prison for the most egregious offences.
Inside Information
Sky News’ insider refused to name the individuals involved at the business end of the Commission’s investigation.
But it’s clear that the regulator is taking their role in the scandal very seriously, with the ‘suspects’ likely to be called in for further questioning.
The episode unfolded in the week’s leading up to the general election in July. A number of politicians and their associates were accused of using privileged, inside information to bet on the date of the vote taking place.
And the insinuation is that when some of those questioned had been informed, either directly or through hearing it on the grapevine, that the election had been called for July 4, they immediately went and placed their wagers on exactly that… before the date had been confirmed in public by the then prime minister, Rishi Sunak.
Under the statutes of the Gambling Act, Section 42 confirms that ‘cheating’ at gambling can be construed as a criminal offence, with sanctions available ranging from a fine to a prison sentence of up to 24 months.
The question of criminality is whether those that had a bet used inside information to their advantage, and if they did whether or not that would be construed by law-makers as a punishable offence… in an era in which convicted criminals are being released early from their prison sentences due to overcrowding.
All About the Timing
Sunak announced the official date of the general election on May 22.
But by June, a number of people involved in the inner circle of UK politics were being hauled in for questioning.
Craig Williams, the former MP for Montgomeryshire in Wales, was the first to break cover, taking to social media to admit his guilt at having placed a £100 bet on the election taking place in July at odds of 5/1.
Soon, members of all three mainstream political parties in the UK had either admitted placing bets or been called in for questioning, alongside party aides and even members of the Metropolitan Police.
The Gambling Commission launched their investigation soon after, with a member of the Specialist Protection Command – thought to be Sunak’s bodyguard – arrested before later being bailed.
The husband and wife duo of Tony Lee and Laura Sanders – he the director of campaigning for the Conservatives, she standing for election in the Bristol North West constituency – were investigated, as was the Tory Party data chief Nick Mason, who according to the Sunday Times placed a series of bets on the election date.
Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack, was forced to make a humiliating U-turn after initially joking that he had won ‘thousands’ from his bets before denying placing any, before it was revealed that two prospective MPs, Sir Philip Davies and Kevin Craig, had bizarrely bet on themselves to lose at the ballot box.
As many as seven Met Police officers were hauled in for questioning, while two senior figures in the Conservative Party – former deputy leader Oliver Dowden and chief of staff Liam Boothe-Smith – were interviewed as witnesses, not suspects.
In August, the Metropolitan Police wrapped up their own investigation, revealing that they would not be bringing criminal charges against anybody involved in the scandal, with the bar for ‘misconduct in public office’ not met.
However, the Gambling Commission, who have the power to enact Section 42 of the Gambling Act, are still concluding their own findings.
The election betting scandal led to widespread indignation in the summer, culminating in an end to a Conservative government beset by corruption and a lack of trust. One of their own, Michael Gove, broke rank to say:
“If you’re in a privileged position [close] to the prime minister at the heart of a political operation and you use inside information to make additional money for yourself, that’s just not acceptable.”
At the time of writing, the Gambling Commission’s own investigation continues.