Report: Sunak aide placed “very foolish” general election bet leading to GC investigation
Craig Williams placed a £100 wager on when the general election would be called, just three days before the date was revealed to the public, according to reports
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s closest parliamentary aide is being investigated by the Gambling Commission (GC) after he placed a £100 bet on there being a July general election.
As revealed by The Guardian, Craig Williams, Sunak’s parliamentary private secretary, placed the wager with Ladbrokes in his Montgomeryshire constituency on 19 May.
Sunak then announced the surprise 4 July election on 22 May, three days later.
The bet was placed via an online account with odds of 5/1, leading to a potential £500 payout after the election took place.
This was flagged immediately by Ladbrokes as being suspicious and was quickly referred to the GC.
In a statement, Williams said: “I’ve been contacted by a journalist about Gambling Commission inquiries into one of my accounts and thought it best to be totally transparent.
“I put a flutter on the general election some weeks ago. This has resulted in some routine inquiries and I confirm I will fully cooperate with these. I don’t want it to be a distraction from the campaign, I should have thought how it looks.”
Williams’ actions could constitute a criminal offence as he may have used confidential information to gain an unfair betting advantage.
As the bet was placed while parliament was still in session, Williams could also be in breach of the MP’s code of conduct which prevents members from “causing significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the house”.
A spokesperson for the GC said: “If someone uses confidential information in order to gain an unfair advantage when betting, this may constitute an offence of cheating under section 42 of the Gambling Act, which is a criminal offence.
“The Gambling Commission does not typically confirm or deny whether any investigations are under way unless or until they are concluded, or if arrests are made or charges are brought during a criminal investigation.”
Lord Cameron, the former prime minister and current foreign secretary, branded Williams’ actions as “foolish” during one of his press appearances this morning, 13 June.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, he said the Conservatives would “have to face the consequences of [the] investigation”.
Lord Cameron said: “His [Williams’] situation, having made this clearly very foolish decision, is that he’s being investigated by the Gambling Commission, and they have considerable powers in terms of what the consequences could be, and I think we have to let that investigation take place.”
Williams is the current Conservative candidate for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr in mid-Wales. He previously served as Montgomeryshire MP since 2019, with the boundary changes ahead of this year’s general election adding Glyndwr to the constituency.
Elsewhere, with the Conservatives struggling in the polls, the party’s manifesto included zero reference to gambling, five years on from promising to review the Gambling Act 2005 in their 2019 manifesto.