The Tory election betting scandal tonight deepened, with three now being probed.
Laura Saunders now faces claims along with husband Tony Lee, who quit as campaign chief, and Craig Williams. And a flurry of bets was placed on a July 4 poll date, days before it was revealed.
PM Rishi Sunak is tonight under growing pressure to suspend all three Tories being probed on betting scandal claims. One of them, his campaign chief Tony Lee, quit as officials investigate the allegations, throwing the Prime Minister’s election preparations into yet more turmoil.
It also emerged yesterday that a flurry of bets was placed on a July 4 date for the poll in the week before Mr Sunak named the date. According to Data from Smarkets, thousands of pounds were waged from May 14, coincidentally the day after an election planning meeting was held at Tory HQ. The date was then announced on May 22.
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Even Tory bigwig Michael Gove admitted the claims “don’t look great”. Tory candidate Laura Saunders, Mr Lee’s wife, became the second hopeful to face a Gambling Commission probe over election betting claims.
And Mr Sunak’s parliamentary aide Craig Williams last week admitted he too was being investigated. A member of the PM’s protection team has also been arrested, bailed and suspended “on suspicion of misconduct in public office” for allegedly betting on the poll date. But in the leaders TV debate last night, a flustered Mr Sunak refused to suspend the Tory trio, despite admitting it is “a really serious matter”.
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The PM also insisted he would axe anyone found breaking betting rules. Labour leader Keir Starmer said: “It’s astonishing. Rishi Sunak just needs to take action, he needs to account for exactly who knew what.”
In a letter to the PM, Labour campaign chief Pat McFadden pointed out that as only the police officer has been suspended it “looks as though there is one rule for members of the Tory Party, and another rule for everyone else”. He wrote: “I urge you to take immediate action against all those implicated. It will speak volumes if you choose to do nothing.”
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Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “I can’t believe people at the top of the Conservative Party are doing this and have allowed this to happen.” Betting cheats can be jailed for up to two years under the Gambling Act.
The Gambling Commission said: “The Commission is investigating the possibility of offences concerning the date of the election.” Ms Saunders, is standing for the Tories in Bristol North West. Her solicitors insist she is co-operating with the Gambling Commission.
One local, Alan Fellows, 71, said: “It’s awful, venal and stupid. The protection officer was relieved of his duties quickly but she hasn’t been.”
Mr Williams is standing in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr. He has apologised and said he had made a “huge error of judgment”. A Tory spokesman said they had heard from the Gambling Commission “about a small number of individuals” and confirmed Mr Lee took “a leave of absence” on Wednesday.