Remember the gambling scandal that erupted in the wake of the UK General Election last summer? It was alleged that a number of MPs, parliamentary officials and associated staff used inside information to bet on the date of the election – which was only known by a select handful of individuals at the time.
According to reports, some of those that placed bets stood to win thousands when the election date was revealed – although Met police investigators decided that none of the people involved in the case had committed a criminal offence. However, that wasn’t the end to the scandal, with the UK Gambling Commission conducting an investigation of their own.
And now, the best part of a year since the public went to the polls, 15 people – including a former Conservative MP and Rishi Sunak’s parliamentary secretary – have been charged with ‘cheating’ by betting using privileged information.
Unfair Advantage
Former Tory MP Craig Williams charged over election betting scandal https://t.co/7b6V8f8oZU
— Financial Times (@FT) April 14, 2025
Craig Williams Fancied a Flutter
Craig Williams, the Tory MP who represented the Montgomeryshire ward in Wales until losing his seat in 2024, is amongst the most high-profile of the individuals to be charged. He also served as the former prime minister Sunak’s personal secretary, and so would have known of the date of the General Election, which was held on July 4, prior to it becoming public knowledge.
Williams had, in his own words, had a ‘flutter’ three days ahead of the general election date being announced, which according to reports amounted to £100. “I clearly made a huge error of judgement that’s for sure and I apologise,” he said at the time. Also charged with cheating in relation to gambling is Laura Saunders, who stood for the Conservatives in the Bristol North West Division at the election.
Tony Lee & Russell George Also Charged
Her husband, the Conservative campaigns director Tony Lee, has also been charged, as have Russell George, a member of the Welsh Parliament, the Tory party’s former chief data officer, Nick Mason, and former chief marketing officer for the Conservatives, Simon Chatfield. Seven police officers from the Metropolitan force had been investigated, but only one – Jeremy Hunt, namesake of the former health secretary – has been charged.
They will stand accused of committing the criminal offence of cheating, as per Section 42 of the Gambling Act, which focuses on ‘individuals suspected of using confidential information – specifically advance knowledge of the proposed election date – to gain an unfair advantage in betting markets.’
They will each now appear in Westminster Magistrates Court on June 13 of this year to have their cases heard.
The Election Scandal
The 2024 General Election was one of the sleaziest in modern memory, with as many as two-dozen people accused of, or connected to, impropriety in the betting markets related to the vote. Amongst them was the then secretary for Scotland, Alister Jack, who initially joked that he had placed three bets on the date of the General Election before back-pedalling and claiming he had no knowledge of the wagers. He was not investigated as part of the criminal charges brought.
Kevin Craig Bet on Opponent
A Labour candidate, Kevin Craig, had bet on an opponent to win in his Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency. Although not a criminal offence, he was suspended by the party and had his £100,000 donation to the campaign returned.
Those charged with cheating as per Section 42 of the Gambling Act could face imprisonment, such is the seriousness of the alleged crime. As per the legal statute, a prison term ‘not exceeding two years’ is one the sanctions available to the judge if they are found guilty, while there’s also the possibility of an ‘unlimited’ fine being metered out.
Fifteen People Suspended
At least eight of the 15 people charged have a connection to the Conservatives. A spokesperson for the party revealed that all involved had been ‘suspended with immediate effect’. They said,
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.
Ellie Reeves, the Labour Party chair, called on new Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch, to clamp down on wrongdoing amongst her ministers. She 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.