Realistically speaking, we may only have 11 days left of this nonsense. The Tories are seemingly crashing out of office in disgrace, after it was revealed that a THIRD member of Rishi Sunak’s team is under investigation for suspicious betting activity.
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The party’s own campaign secretary and a Parliamentary private secretary are both already facing sanctions, after they placed significant stakes on the date of the General Election – just days before Thursday 4 July was publicly announced.
By effectively gaming the system, Tony Lee and Craig Williams were able to make a significant profit from their ‘insider trading’. This latest controversy, in an election campaign that has been disastrous for the Tories, has now been compounded further.
Nick Mason, the Chief Data Officer for the Tories, has taken a leave of absence, after it was reported that he had placed ‘dozens of bets’ on the date of the next election. It’s alleged all his stakes were under the £100 mark, but would have earned him thousands back.
Cheating at gambling can come with some very serious consequences, as it is a criminal offence to do so. Some of the more serious cases can fetch a jail term of two years. And, given Mason’s job title, it’ll be difficult for him to plead ignorance.
A probe is now underway to establish the full extent of these wagers. This is perhaps a fitting end to government for this administration, which has been plagued by scandal and bad behaviour for almost the entirety of its reign.
Opinion polls across the board are predicting a near-wipeout for the Tories, as the voters who swept them to a convincing victory in 2019 look elsewhere for answers. Sunak, meanwhile, could be in danger of also losing his seat as an MP.
