An insider-knowledge betting scandal is tainting the British general election. Senior Conservative Party figures—and even some police officers—stand accused of using inside info to place bets on the election date shortly before it was announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Sunak’s Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) Craig Williams, also a parliamentary candidate, admits placing a £100 (~$128) bet at 5-1 odds on Sunak calling the election for July 4. The Gambling Commission is investigating him, leading to his suspension as a Conservative candidate—though it’s too late to remove him from the ballots.
He insists he “committed an error of judgment, not an offense” and “intend[s] to clear [his] name.”
The Gambling Commission is also investigating Laura Saunders, another candidate, suspecting she learned the election date from her husband, Tony Lee, the Conservative Party’s director of campaigns. The Commission is also probing Lee. The party has suspended Saunders along with Willams.
A more comprehensive investigation now encompasses a significant number of candidates, candidates’ relatives, and candidates’ friends. Data analysis shows a highly suspicious surge in election day bets just before Sunak announced the date.
Several police officers are implicated in the scandal, with one of Sunak’s close protection officers becoming the first of six officers placed under investigation. Authorities arrested this officer for misconduct in public office, with some questioning why he is facing harsher treatment than the politicians suspected of wrongdoing.
Efforts by Conservatives to reap relatively small sums of money from the election as they face a landslide defeat have further damaged their public reputation. Nigel Farage’s Reform Party leads the Conservatives nationally.
Excl: Here's what happens if you scrape Betfair data for bets on a July election.
This graph cuts off at the end of 21 May, the day before Sunak announced the election.
There's a flood of bets that day – before Rishi formally told the cabinet and stood in Downing Street. pic.twitter.com/AfKyzAbDBQ
— Jim Waterson (@jimwaterson) June 20, 2024