Sunak Clears Himself in Election Betting Scandal as Tory Crisis Deepens

Rishi Sunak has stated that he is not a subject of inquiry in the gambling investigation

The election campaign of the Conservative Party is facing turmoil following allegations that multiple individuals linked to the party wagered on the timing of the general election.

Monday, June 24, 2024, 5:

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Rishi Sunak has stated that he is not the subject of an inquiry by the Gambling Commission, which is examining wagers made on when the general election would occur.

The prime minister stated that the Conservative Party would initiate an internal probe into the claims that have plagued the final stages of his campaign.

Addressing the media in Edinburgh, Mr. Sunak stated that his party "will take action" if their internal investigation into the supposed betting scandal uncovers any misconduct.

"He emphasized that the Gambling Commission operates autonomously, without any influence from the government or himself."

"I'm not privy to the specifics of their probe, you see? They operate independently, so I'm not in the loop, but what I can share is that concurrently, we've initiated our own internal investigations. We will certainly respond to any pertinent results or data from this and communicate them to the Gambling Commission."

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In response to a question about engaging in political betting during his tenure as a Member of Parliament, Mr. Sunak answered, "No."

The Prime Minister, who has also dismissed the possibility of his family's involvement, is currently in Scotland to assist Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross in unveiling the party’s manifesto.

Prior to his trip, Mr. Sunak stated that the Scottish Conservatives are delivering a powerful message to the nationalists, emphasizing that the Scottish populace is eager to progress beyond their fixation with independence.

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The election campaign of the Conservative Party has been thrown into turmoil following allegations that multiple individuals linked to the party wagered on when the election would occur.

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Craig Williams, who serves as the parliamentary private secretary to Mr. Sunak and is a Conservative candidate for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, acknowledged making a small bet on the timing of the election and is now under scrutiny.

Tony Lee, who oversees campaign strategies for the party, along with his spouse Laura Saunders, who is running as the Conservative candidate in Bristol North West, are both subjects of an ongoing investigation.

Chris Heaton-Harris, the Northern Ireland Secretary, has dismissed suggestions, some from his own Conservative Party, that individuals under investigation should be temporarily suspended during the inquiry.

Sir Keir Starmer criticized Mr. Sunak's decision to initiate an internal party investigation as a ploy to delay addressing the issue, labeling it a "complete lack of leadership."

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"His declaration of an investigation is solely aimed at delaying this matter until after the election," Sir Keir stated in his address at the Northampton Town football club.

The leader of the Labour Party contended that an inquiry should have been initiated by now, stating, "It would only take 30 minutes. Who was aware? Did you make a wager? That's all there is to it."

Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting echoed Sir Keir's sentiments, accusing the Conservative Party of using the Gambling Commission as a shield.

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He informed Times Radio that Pat McFadden, the Labour Party's national campaign coordinator, was "completely justified" in contacting the regulatory body about the matter, following Mr. Heaton-Harris's claim that Labour was attempting to exert "excessive pressure" on the commission.

During a rally in Kent, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage sharply criticized the Conservatives, comparing the party to "something akin to an organized betting ring."

"He speculated about the number of individuals rushing into gambling establishments, wagering sums like £100, £200, or £500, predicting that the scandal would only deepen," he remarked.

He continued with a jest, saying, "However, I've been told Rishi Sunak is close to taking a definitive action—rumor has it he will declare this afternoon that we are exiting the Gambling Commission."

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