Aaron Chown/PA
A dossier containing a list of all bets that stood to win more than £199 from tipping a July General Election is said to contain “hundreds” of names, an industry figure has said.
The Prime Minister faced further questions on gambling by Conservative candidates as allegations of a string of people with links to the party came to light.
Rishi Sunak refused to be drawn on whether he is aware of other Conservative candidates or officials who placed bets on the date of the election, saying there are “multiple investigations” underway that are “independent” and “confidential”.
He added: “What I can tell you is, as I said, if anyone is found to have broken the rules, they should not only face the full consequences of the law, but I will ensure that they are booted out of the Conservative Party, too.”
Craig Williams, the party’s candidate in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr and Mr Sunak’s parliamentary aide, admitted to having “a flutter” on the date of the election after it was disclosed he was under investigation by the Gambling Commission.
It has since been reported that another candidate, Laura Saunders, and her husband, Tory director of campaigning Tony Lee, were also facing a Gambling Commission investigation, while a member of Sunak’s close protection team has been arrested and removed from operational duties over similar allegations.
The matter was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) which said, at this stage, the Metropolitan Police’s Directorate of Professional Standards should investigate.
Saunders, the Conservative candidate for Bristol North West, said she “will be co-operating with the Gambling Commission” investigation, while Mr Lee took a leave of absence from his role with the party on Wednesday, just 15 days before the polls open.
Labour has called for both Mr Williams and Ms Saunders to be suspended as candidates, but they could just be the tip of the iceberg as the scandal threatens to intensify.
According to reports in The Times, hundreds of names are under investigation by the Gambling Commission, suggesting the extent of the scandal is still unknown.
Commenting on the report, Good Law Project director Jo Maugham said: “When you have learned that the rules are for the little people…”
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