UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took the British public by surprise last month when he announced a general election on July 4. Sunak was under no obligation to call an election until December 2024, so he called an election earlier than necessary, while the Conservative Party had has not performed well in research it was especially unexpected.
Now it appears that some members of the Conservative Party and members of the Prime Minister’s security team tried to cash in on the surprise election date by placing bets. If investigations reveal that employees did in fact use inside information to gain an advantage in the betting markets, these members could be convicted of a criminal offense under section 42 of the Gambling Act. From now on, up to 15 members of the Conservative Party are being investigated by the Gambling Commission, the government body responsible for regulating gambling in the United Kingdom, for placing bets around the elections, in possible violation of the law.
“The Commission is currently investigating the possibility of violations relating to the election date. This is an ongoing investigation and the Commission is unable to provide further details at this time,” a spokesperson for the UK Gambling Commission said in a statement emailed to TIME on June 27. “We are not confirming or denying the identity of any individuals involved. in this investigation.”
TIME has reached out to the Conservative Party for further comment.
May 19: Craig Williams bets on UK election date
Craig Williams, a Conservative parliamentary candidate who at the time was also the Prime Minister’s parliamentary private secretary, placed a $126 (£100) bet with bookmaker Ladbrokes that the Conservative Party would hold an election in July. This bet is automatically flagged by Ladbrokes due to Williams’ role in politics, and is subsequently forwarded to the Gambling Commission. Williams will later admit to his actions.
May 22: Rishi Sunak announces UK general election date
Prime Minister Sunak announces that the country will hold a general election on July 4, 2024, surprising many experts.
June 12: O Guardian reveals Williams’ bet to the public
The Guardian reveals to the public that Williams placed a 5/1 bet that the election would be called in July. This means that your bet of $126 (£100) would have resulted in a payout of $633 (£500). Williams admits to making the bet and apologizes. “I clearly made a huge error in judgment, that’s for sure and I apologize,” he is quoted as telling the BBC the next day. Sunak refuses to respond about whether or not Williams had inside knowledge of the election date.
14 June: Gambling Commission contacts Metropolitan Police over another betting incident
The Gambling Commission contacts the Metropolitan Police, who are responsible for law enforcement in the greater London area. This time, the investigation revolves around a police officer assigned as the Prime Minister’s bodyguard. The police officer is initially suspended, and later arrested.
June 19: The BBC reveals that Conservative Party campaign director Tony Lee is also being investigated by the Gambling Commission
Tony Lee, the Conservative Party campaign director who is also married to a Conservative MP [Member of Parliament] Laura Saunders, is being investigated by the Gambling Commission, for the BBC. He reportedly took leave from his position the following day. TIME has reached out to Lee for further comment.
June 22: Sunday times reveals Conservative Party data director is also under investigation
Nick Mason, the Conservative Party’s data director, is also under investigation by the Gambling Commission for placing dozens of bets on the timing of the UK election, Sunday times reports. This makes him the fourth member of the Conservative Party to be caught up in the betting scandal.
June 24: Rishi Sunak says he has “no knowledge” of any other Conservatives linked to the betting scandal
Sunak confirms that the Conservative Party is carrying out internal investigations in addition to the Gambling Commission investigations. Sunak tells the BBC that he is “not aware” of any other Conservative candidates running in the election who are being investigated by the Gambling Commission. However, the BBC reports that, from its understanding, the inquiries involve more people than those whose names have been released to the public so far.
June 25: Conservative Party withdraws support for Craig Williams and Laura Saunders. Labor candidate Kevin Craig suspended for betting against himself
The Conservative Party withdraws support for Williams and Saunders, the first deputies linked to the scandal. Another parliamentary candidate, Kevin Craig, who ran for the Labor Party, is also suspended after it was revealed he placed a bet against himself.
“A few weeks ago, when I thought I would never win this seat, I bet the Conservatives would win here with the intention of donating any winnings to local charities,” Craig wrote. in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Although I did not place this bet with any prior knowledge of the outcome, this was a huge mistake, for which I unreservedly apologize.”
The BBC also reports that up to 15 Conservative Party candidates are being investigated by the Gambling Commission
June 26: Labor leader Keir Starmer confronts Rishi Sunak over the election betting scandal during a televised debate
On June 26, the night of the second general election debate between Labor Party leader Keir Starmer and Sunak, both candidates were asked about their respective parties’ leadership amid the scandal.
“I was… furious when I heard about these allegations. That’s why, together with the Gambling Commission, we launched our own internal investigations into what happened and, as a result, suspended two candidates,” Sunak said on TV.
Starmer, however, accused the Prime Minister and the Conservative party of having weak ethical standards, referring to Sunak’s own breach of Covid lockdown rules, which he paid a fine for. “He could have acted last week or the week before but he was able to act when he was intimidated by others into doing so, that’s not leadership,” Starmer said. “When you are convicted of breaking the Covid rules that you imposed on the rest of the country, you really shouldn’t be talking about integrity in politics.”
June 26: Met Police confirms it will “investigate a small number of cases” in relation to the betting scandal
The Metropolitan Police say they will lead the investigation into a “small number of bets” relating to the general election. So far, he says seven police officers have been identified as placing bets on the timing of the elections. They will work in coordination with the Gambling Commission, which is expected to lead the majority of investigations relating to Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005. The Metropolitan Police will take the lead in investigations where additional crimes, such as misconduct in public office , can also apply.
TIME contacted the Metropolitan Police on June 27 for further comment, and they directed us to your public statement.
“We have agreed a joint approach with the Gambling Commission, which is the appropriate authority to investigate the majority of these allegations,” Detective Superintendent Katherine Goodwin, who is leading the Met investigation, said in the statement. “There will, however, be a small number of cases where a wider criminal investigation by the police will be required.”
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