Tory election betting scandal grows days out from UK polling day

London: A second senior Conservative official has stood aside amid an election betting scandal that has engulfed Britain’s ruling party just two weeks from polling day.

Nick Mason, the Tories’ chief data officer, has taken a leave of absence from his role 11 days from the July 4 election as the regulator probes his possible use of privileged information to bet on the vote, several British media outlets reported.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to journalists on the campaign bus.Credit: Getty Images

The betting scandal has dealt a heavy blow to the Conservatives as they battle to revive its struggling campaign ahead of the vote. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing severe criticism over his handling of the saga, as calls grow for him to suspend party figures who are being probed by the Gambling Commission.

The revelation was first reported by The Sunday Times which claimed dozens of bets had been placed with potential winnings worth thousands of pounds. The watchdog was also reported to have widened its inquiries to investigate whether people with inside knowledge may have asked a third party to place a bet for them.

Three Tory party members are already under investigation: Craig Williams, Sunak’s closest parliamentary aide; Laura Saunders, a party staffer; and her husband, Tory campaign director Tony Lee. Of those, Williams and Saunders are still standing as candidates in the general election.

An unnamed police officer working as part of Sunak’s protection team was also arrested last week over “alleged bets” made on the election.

Investigators have written to leading bookmakers asking for details of bets of £20 or more on the election date within days of Sunak announcing it on May 22.

A spokesman for Mason said that it would be inappropriate to comment during an investigation, but he denied wrongdoing.

Sunak said that he had been “incredibly angry” to learn of the allegations.

“It’s a really serious matter. It’s right that they’re being investigated properly by the relevant law enforcement authorities, including a criminal investigation by the police,” he said last week.

There are strict rules around gambling in the UK, with Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005 declaring a person commits an offence if they cheat at gambling or do “anything for the purpose of enabling or assisting another person to cheat at gambling”.

Cheating is defined as an “actual or attempted deception or interference in connection with the process by which gambling is conducted, or a real or virtual game, race or other event or process to which gambling relates”.

Someone found guilty of cheating at gambling can be imprisoned for a maximum of two years and/or fined, or six months in prison for a lesser offence.

Betting with insider knowledge is also not allowed as an MP, with their code of conduct prohibiting members from “causing significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the house”.

Speaking about the allegations on the BBC, Home Secretary James Cleverly said the Gambling Commission was investigating, and it was “right and proper that we let them do their job”.

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