Playing watchdog seems to be into second Tory candidate over alleged election wager

Rishi Sunak has turn out to be mired in a row over alleged betting on the final election date after it emerged {that a} second Conservative candidate and the celebration’s campaigns director have been being seemed into by the Gambling Fee.

The watchdog is inspecting bets allegedly positioned by Laura Saunders, the Tory candidate in Bristol North West, and her husband, Tony Lee, who’s now on depart of absence from his job at celebration headquarters.

It’s not recognized when the alleged bets have been positioned or for a way a lot cash.

Labour referred to as for the Tories to droop Saunders from the celebration. The Labour chief, Keir Starmer, mentioned: “This candidate ought to be suspended and it’s very telling that Rishi Sunak has not already executed that. If it was considered one of my candidates, they’d be gone and their toes wouldn’t have touched the ground.”

The Liberal Democrats referred to as for a Cupboard Workplace inquiry. The celebration’s chief, Ed Davey, mentioned: “I believe it’s fairly terrible. It wants a heavy hand from the highest.”

The cupboard minister Michael Gove mentioned the scenario “doesn’t look nice” for the Conservatives however mentioned the fee needed to get on with its investigation.

A Tory spokesperson mentioned the celebration had been contacted by the watchdog about “a small variety of people” who had allegedly positioned bets on a July election. A celebration insider mentioned they weren’t conscious of any extra circumstances past these already within the public area.

Final week the Guardian revealed that the prime minister’s closest parliamentary aide, Craig Williams, placed a £100 bet with Ladbrokes at 5/1 on a July poll, three days earlier than Sunak introduced the date.

The Guardian later revealed that the Gambling Commission asked bookmakers to trawl through all substantial bets positioned on a July election.

The watchdog wrote to all licensed bookmakers requesting info on anybody who stood to achieve greater than £199 by betting on a July election within the UK.

Saunders, who has labored for the Tories since 2015, is standing because the celebration’s candidate in Bristol North West, which Labour held on the previous boundaries with a 5,700 majority. She has not but commented on the allegations.

Williams, 39, is the Tory candidate for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr in mid-Wales. He had a majority of 12,000 earlier than the boundary change.

After the Guardian’s revelation, he apologised for putting the wager three days earlier than Sunak introduced the date, saying he had made a “enormous error of judgment”. The prime minister mentioned he was “disenchanted”.

The Guardian understands the Tory celebration opened a proper HR course of after they have been notified of the watchdog’s inquiries, however has now put that on maintain. Lee is on a depart of absence from celebration headquarters.

The Tories on Thursday deleted a marketing campaign video that confirmed a roulette desk spinning with the phrases: “If you happen to wager on Labour, you possibly can by no means win.”

Individually, considered one of Sunak’s shut safety officers was arrested on Monday over alleged bets in regards to the timing of the election, on suspicion of misconduct in public workplace.

The Metropolitan police mentioned they have been contacted final Friday by the fee, which knowledgeable the power that it was trying into alleged bets associated to the timing of an election by a constable from the Met’s royalty and specialist safety command.

“The matter was instantly referred to officers within the Met’s directorate {of professional} requirements, who opened an investigation, and the officer was additionally faraway from operational duties,” the power mentioned.

The matter has additionally been referred to the Impartial Workplace for Police Conduct (IOPC), the watchdog accountable for overseeing the system for dealing with complaints made in opposition to police forces in England and Wales.

The Met added: “The Playing Fee continues to guide the investigation into the alleged betting offences, and our investigation is operating in parallel to that.”

The fee mentioned: “At present the fee is investigating the potential of offences regarding the date of the election.

“That is an ongoing investigation, and the fee can’t present any additional particulars at the moment. We aren’t confirming or denying the identification of any people concerned on this investigation.”

Labour’s marketing campaign chief, Pat McFadden, who has written to Sunak urging the Tories to withdraw help from Saunders and Williams whereas they’re being seemed into, mentioned the Tories wanted to say “how extensive this scandal goes”.

He added: “This seems to be as if there may be one rule for members of the Tory celebration, and one other rule for everybody else, particularly on this event a serving police officer.”