LONDON: A former lawmaker in Britain’s now opposition Conservative Party has been charged alongside 14 others with gambling offences over bets made on the timing of the national election last year, the Gambling Commission said on Monday.

Britain’s election dates are not fixed and the timing of a vote, decided by the prime minister, is subject to fevered speculation, with bookmakers taking bets on possible outcomes.

The Gambling Commission launched a probe in June 2024 after allegations that senior Conservative figures had placed bets on the highly-anticipated timing of the election called by Sunak — plunging his already troubled party into further scandal.

News that insiders and others linked to the Conservative Party had placed bets on the date was an early blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s re-election campaign. Craig Williams, a Sunak aide, lost his seat in the election. Others charged included Russell George, 50, a Conservative member of the Welsh Parliament, and Laura Saunders, 37, a losing candidate in the election.

At the time of the accusations, Williams apologised for an alleged 100 ($131) bet on a July election date, but did not disclose whether or not he had advance knowledge. The Conservative party withdrew support for him ahead of the July 4 vote.

The Conservative Party recently said it believed that those working in politics must act with integrity and it had suspended current members of staff who had been charged. “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,” a spokesperson said.

The Gambling Commission said those investigated were suspected of using confidential knowledge of the election date to gain an unfair advantage in betting markets, an offence under the Gambling Act 2005. “The Commission is committed to upholding the law and will continue to take robust action against illegal betting practices, including investigating and prosecuting offences,” it said in a statement. The 15 charged will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on June 13, the Gambling Commission said.

The BBC reported the Labour Party chairwoman Ellie Reeves 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. “[Conservative leader] 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. No ifs, no buts.”

Political gambling

Political bets are allowed in the UK, including on the date of elections, but using insider knowledge to do so is against the law.

The probe “focused on individuals suspected of using confidential information — specifically advance knowledge of the proposed election date — to gain an unfair advantage in betting markets,” the gambling regulator said in a statement.

Welsh Conservatives leader Darren Millar said the suspension of George was “a neutral act pending the outcome of the justice process”. Bernard Gentry, chairman of the Welsh Conservatives, told BBC Wales: “It’s disappointing that these individuals have been charged. But we need to wait for the result of the court case before passing judgement.”

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2025