Chancellor Rishi Sunak speaks during the BBC Question Time Leaders’ Special on June 20, 2024 in York, England.
Stéphane Rousseau | Reuters
LONDON – Britain’s ruling Conservative Party is embroiled in a scandal over accusations that senior officials used inside information to win bets on the date of the general election.
Five people People linked to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are under investigation for allegedly placing bets on the July 4 election date before Sunak announced it on May 22.
Nick Mason, the Conservative Party’s chief data officer, is the latest Tory official to be investigated by the Gambling Commission, according to the Sunday Times. Mason has taken a leave of absence and his spokesman has denied any wrongdoing, according to British newspapers. CNBC could not immediately confirm this, and Conservatives have not yet responded to a request for comment.
Craig Williams, the Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire and a close aide to the prime minister, was the first to face the issue of betting on the election date. he comfirmed In a statement from X, he “expressed dissatisfaction with the election a few weeks ago.”
“This has resulted in some routine investigations and I confirm that I will cooperate fully with those investigations. I do not want it to distract from my campaign. I should carefully consider how it looks,” Williams added.
Conservative campaign director Tony Lee and his wife Laura Saunders – the party’s candidate for Bristol North West – are also being investigated by the Gambling Commission.
The Independent reported that Lee had taken a leave of absence and a lawyer representing Saunders told the newspaper that she would co-operate with the Gambling Commission without having anything further to add. Sanders and Lee have not yet responded to CNBC’s request for comment.
Finally, one of Sunak’s police protection officers was arrested on June 17 on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The Gambling Commission contacted the Metropolitan Police regarding gambling by a police officer on polling day in July.
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that the officer had been dismissed and the matter had been referred to the Metropolitan Professional Standards Authority and the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
“Very angry”
The scandal comes amid declining support for the Conservative Party, with a recent poll suggesting Sunak could be the first prime minister to back the party. Losing seats in the general election. There are growing calls for Sunak to suspend party figures who are being investigated by the Gambling Commission.
“It’s clear Rishi Sunak hasn’t done that yet,” Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labor Party and favorite to win the upcoming election, told reporters last week. “If it had been one of my candidates, they would have walked away and their feet wouldn’t have touched the floor.”
Sunak declined to comment on whether those involved in the scandal should be suspended. Speaking at a BBC-televised election event last week, Sunak said he was “very angry”.
“What I can tell you is that if anyone is caught breaking the rules, not only will they face the full consequences of the law, but I will make sure they are kicked out of the Conservative Party,” Sunak told the audience on Monday. , he and his family have yet to place their bets on election time.
Outgoing Conservative MP Michael Gove, secretary of state for levels, housing and communities, told The Sunday Times the damage done to the Conservative Party by the betting scandal was linked to “partygate” during the Covid-19 pandemic Like a scandal.
“It would be terribly wrong if people were betting on inside information,” Gove told BBC News, adding that such behavior was “reprehensible”.”.
criminal offense
Using confidential information to obtain an unfair advantage may constitute a criminal offense in the UK under Section 42 of the Gambling Act.
A spokesman for the industry regulator said in an emailed statement that the Gambling Commission was investigating “the possibility of unlawful conduct in relation to the election date”. They added that the committee was unable to confirm the identities of individuals involved in the ongoing investigation.
Pat McFadden, the Labor candidate for Wolverhampton South East, has asked the Gambling Commission to disclose “the names of other people you are investigating in connection with this matter”.
McFadden wrote: “I am deeply concerned about the ongoing speculation that is casting a shadow over the election. The public will be rightly alarmed that anyone who ultimately decides to hold an election will be using inside information to stake their claim. note the results they know in advance. letter To the committee.
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