The Conservative Party’s chief data officer has taken a leave of absence amid claims he ‘placed dozens of bets on the timing of the General Election’.
Nick Mason became the latest Tory to be investigated by the Gambling Commission for allegedly betting on the timing of the election before the date had been announced.
The latest allegations were published by The Sunday Times, which claimed dozens of bets had been placed with potential winnings worth thousands of pounds.
The revelations are a fresh blow to Rishi Sunak’s hopes of getting the Tory election campaign on track after three other Conservative figures were caught up in the scandal.
Tony Lee, the party’s director of campaigns, and his wife Laura Saunders, are also under investigation by the Commission.
Tony Lee, the Conservative party’s director of campaigns, and his wife Laura Saunders, are also under investigation by the Commission
Lee’s wife, Laura Saunders, a Conservative candidate in the Bristol North West constituency, is also under investigation but said she is fully cooperating with the commission
Craig Williams, who was the Prime Minister’s parliamentary private secretary and is the Conservative candidate for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, was also placed under investigation over a £100 ‘flutter’ on the date of the election
Ms Saunders, a Conservative candidate in the Bristol North West constituency, has said she is fully cooperating with the commission.
Craig Williams, who was the Prime Minister’s parliamentary private secretary and is the Conservative candidate for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, was also placed under investigation over a £100 ‘flutter’ on the date of the election.
He has apologised for the act which he described as a ‘huge error of judgement’.
Labour called for the Tories to suspend Ms Saunders and Mr Williams, with Keir Starmer saying: ‘If it was one of my candidates, they’d be gone and their feet would not have touched the floor.’
Meanwhile, one of Mr Sunak’s close protection officers has also been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public following a similar allegation and is suspended as an internal investigation is carried out by Scotland Yard.
Michael Gove, the outgoing Housing Secretary, has condemned the latest reports, and likened the betting scandal to Partygate during Boris Johnson’s premiership.
‘It looks like one rule for them and one rule for us,’ he told the Sunday Times, adding: ‘That’s the most potentially damaging thing.’
‘The perception that we operate outside the rules that we set for others.
‘That was damaging at the time of partygate and is damaging here.
‘If you’re in a privileged position [close] to the prime minister at the heart of a political operation and you use inside information to make additional money for yourself, that’s just not acceptable.
‘So if these allegations are true, it’s very difficult to defend,’ he added.
A spokesperson for Mason denied any wrongdoing and said it was inappropriate to comment during the inquiry.
A Conservative spokesman said: ‘As instructed by the Gambling Commission, we are not permitted to discuss any matters related to any investigation with the subject or any other persons.’
Mr Sunak must personally intervene in the ‘all-out scandal’, the Lib Dems have said.
Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dem deputy leader, said: ‘Sunak must personally intervene to order a Cabinet Office inquiry and suspend all those under investigation.’
On Thursday night, Mr Sunak admitted he was ‘incredibly angry’ after the bombshell that the gambling watchdog is investigating several senior Conservatives.
Appearing on the BBC’s Question Time election special, Mr Sunak was grilled on the claims.
‘I was incredibly angry to learn of these allegations. If anyone’s found to have broken the rules, not only should they face the full consequences of the law, I’ll make sure they are booted out of the Conservative Party,’ he said.
Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith branded those involved as ‘stupid and venal’.
Reform leader Nigel Farage accused the Conservatives of being ‘corrupt’.
The use of confidential information to gain unfair advantage when betting may constitute a criminal offence of cheating under section 42 of the Gambling Act.
Those convicted face and unlimited fine or up to two years in jail.
