A number of senior UK Conservatives are under investigation for placing bets on the announcement of the date of the UK elections, scheduled for 4 July, it emerged on Thursday.
Two weeks before the election, the polls suggest that the Tories are facing an unprecedented defeat to Labour after 14 years in power and having gone through 4 different prime ministers.
Amid a flailing electoral campaign that has been plagued by gaffes, Sunak is facing another scandal just weeks after the furore around him leaving D-Day's 80th anniversary celebrations early to record a televised election interview.
Now, concerns have been raised about certain individuals close to Sunak have profited by placing bets on the election date. Erroneously anticipated for autumn, Sunak shockingly announced on 22 May that the election would take place on 4 July.
Betting data released on Thursday showed a large amount of bets having been placed just before the announcement. The issue escalated when London’s police announced that they had been alerted about the involvement of a police officer from the personal protection unit. The agent was detained and subsequently released on bail while being investigated by the internal police.
Last week, Conservative MP and Sunak’s adviser, Craig Williams, was exposed by the Guardian for placing a £100 bet on July elections three days before the announcement was made. Running for election in Wales, Williams acknowledged his "error of judgement" but did not confirm any misuse of confidential information.
On Wednesday evening, the BBC revealed that another Conservative candidate was being monitored by the betting regulator: Laura Saunders, wife of the Conservative Party’s campaign director, Tony Lee.
Lee, also under suspicion, has gone on leave just before the vote. Saunders’s lawyer has confirmed she will cooperate with the betting regulatory commission.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed his "terrible anger" following revelations of suspected illegal betting regarding UK general election dates.
Seizing this new scandal, Labour and the Liberal Democrat parties are calling for an inquiry into the extent of illegal betting and the suspension of suspected candidates.
"If these were my candidates, I would have already got rid of them," declared Labour leader Keir Starmer, a former lawyer and prosecutor.
