Five people with links to Rishi Sunak or the Conservative party are being investigated by the gambling watchdog. Who are they, and what are they being investigated for?
Craig Williams
The Tory candidate for re-election in Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr is a key member of the prime minister’s inner circle. As Sunak’s parliamentary private secretary in the last parliament, Williams helped the prime minister to manage relations with MPs.
When the Guardian revealed on 12 June that Williams had placed a £100 bet on there being a July election three days before Sunak announced the date in May, Williams admitted having a “flutter” on the election and said one of his betting accounts was the subject of inquiries by the Gambling Commission.
The next day he apologised for the bet, which had odds of 5-1, meaning he could have made £500, and conceded that he had made a “huge error of judgment”. He has refused to answer questions about whether he was privy to inside information before placing the bet.
Police protection officer
An unnamed Metropolitan police officer who is part of Sunak’s close protection security team was arrested on 17 June for the alleged offence of misconduct in public office, after the force was contacted by the Gambling Commission.
When the matter was referred to the Met’s directorate of professional standards and the police watchdog, the officer was also removed from operational duties. Details of any bets placed by the officer have not been disclosed.
Laura Saunders
Saunders, who is married to the Conservative’s campaign director, Tony Lee, is standing for the party in Bristol North West. She became the second prospective parliamentary candidate to be investigated by the Gambling Commission over an alleged bet about the timing of the election, the BBC reported last week.
The size and the timing of Saunders’ alleged bet or bets is not known. Saunders has confirmed that she is cooperating with the commission and accused the BBC of breaching her right to privacy. Saunders joined the Conservatives at the age of 18 and has worked for the party since 2015.
Tony Lee
Lee, who is married to Saunders, was appointed as the Tories’ director of campaigning by Oliver Dowden when he was co-chair of the party. Dowden, who is now deputy prime minister, told the Conservatives’ spring conference in Blackpool in March 2022 that Lee was part of a “fantastic team” who had “masterminded” Andy Street’s successful election campaign to be West Midlands mayor the previous year.
The Conservative party confirmed that Lee had taken leave of absence after it emerged that he also was being investigated by the Gambling Commission over an undisclosed alleged bet or bets.
Nick Mason
On his X account, Mason describes himself as “data-driven insight evangelist” as well as a Tory campaigner and the party’s candidate for Jarrow in Tyneside in the 2015 election. He has been party’s chief data officer since 2022 and on Sunday was named by the Sunday Times as the fourth Conservative to be investigated by the Gambling Commission.
Like Lee, he has taken “leave of absence” from the party. He is alleged to have placed several dozen bets over an unknown period before the date of the snap election was announced, according to the Sunday Times.
The combined winnings would have amounted to thousands of pounds, the paper said. A spokesperson for Mason said it would be inappropriate to comment while the investigation was under way, but that he denied wrongdoing.
