Former MP among those charged with betting offences
Former Conservative MP Craig Williams and an ex-police officer are among those charged with breaking gambling laws.
Fifteen people in total have been charged by the Gambling Commission (UKGC) under Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005. They are accused of placing bets concerning the date of the 2024 General Election. All, it is alleged, were aware of the date prior to placing bets or passing on information.
The use of privileged information to inform bets is against the law, and the Tories are reeling from this latest controversy.
Investigations and sentencing
The Guardian’s initial investigation began after Williams placed a £100 bet on the election date. He was a standing MP at the time.
This led to a formal investigation being carried out by the UKGC, who recently published details regarding “individuals suspected of using confidential information – specifically advance knowledge of the proposed election date – to gain an unfair advantage in betting markets”.
Others charged include various Tory campaign directors and campaigners, as well as a former police officer, Jeremy Hunt. The latter was under separate investigation by the Metropolitan Police. This separate investigation has since closed, with no actions being taken other than the UKGC charges.
Those charged will be heard at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 13 June 2025. They face penalties ranging from fines to prison.
It seems likely that the prominent positions held by the accused – particularly Williams, who was aide to Rishi Sunak at the time he is alleged to have placed the illegal bet – will be taken into account.
Reactions
The Labour Party condemned the scandal as a serious breach of public trust, framing it within a wider pattern of Tory controversy.
The Tories themselves stated that all concerned had been suspended or were otherwise not connected to the party. In an effort to save face, they were also quick to stress that the party was under a different leadership at the time of the alleged crime.
In a separate issue, Labour politician Kevin Craig was suspended for betting against himself. He called the act “a huge mistake” in his apology. Neither party can really claim to be ‘clean’.