Top Sunak Adviser Liam Booth-Smith Interviewed in Election Betting Investigation, Not a Suspect

Liam Booth-Smith, the Chief of Staff at Downing Street and a top aide to Rishi Sunak, has been interviewed as a witness by the Gambling Commission regarding an investigation into election betting, according to Sky News sources. These sources also stressed that Booth-Smith is not considered a suspect in this inquiry but was approached for assistance.

Senior political reporter @joncraig

Thursday, June 27, 2024, 9:

The top aide to Rishi Sunak at Downing Street has been questioned as part of the inquiry into wagers placed by Conservatives regarding the timing of the general election.

Last week, Liam Booth-Smith, the Chief of Staff at Downing Street, was interrogated by top officials from the Gambling Commission regarding who was aware of the election timing.

According to information provided to Sky News, sources have clarified that Mr. Booth-Smith is not considered a suspect in the ongoing gambling probe, but rather was questioned as a witness and requested for assistance.

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Known as the prime minister's closest confidant, Mr. Booth-Smith has been with Mr. Sunak since his days as chancellor, where his penchant for leather jackets garnered him the moniker 'the Treasury Travolta'.

At 37 years old, he was raised in a single-parent home in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. Prior to his tenure with Mr. Sunak, he served under Boris Johnson at Number 10.

In a ranking by the New Statesman magazine last year, Mr. Booth-Smith was named the ninth most influential figure in British Conservative politics among the top 50 personalities.

A source within the Gambling Commission revealed that Mr. Booth-Smith was questioned by individuals at a higher level than investigators, specifically by "senior officials within the Commission."

No scheduled interviews with Sunak

Sources have informed Sky News that there are currently no intentions to question the prime minister regarding the inquiry into wagers placed on the election timing.

A source from the commission stated: "In such a scenario, it is highly probable that the Met would take the lead in conducting interviews for a high-profile investigation."

In the midst of the 2006-07 cash-for-honours controversy, Sir Tony Blair was questioned by law enforcement on three separate occasions regarding allegations that financial contributions from affluent Labour supporters were exchanged for nominations to peerages.

Every interview with Sir Tony took place at Downing Street and he participated as a witness. He was not detained, nor were the interviews conducted under caution.

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In 2022, amid the partygate scandal, Boris Johnson was required to fill out a questionnaire and subsequently became the first sitting prime minister to be interviewed by the police under caution.

Information has emerged that Mr. Booth-Smith was questioned by the gambling commission. This news surfaced as Mr. Sunak consistently declined to confirm if he had informed his parliamentary assistant, Craig Williams, about the election date.

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Ex-Tory candidate under active criminal probe

Just a day after Sky News disclosed that Mr. Williams, the Conservative candidate for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, had been questioned by officials from the Gambling Commission regarding his wager on when the general election would occur.

An insider from the Gambling Commission revealed that Mr. Williams was warned and questioned by two former police officers and an ex-HMRC official, who currently serve as investigators for the commission.

Sources indicate that the commission is currently engaged in an active criminal probe, with Mr. Williams potentially facing charges, receiving a warning, or no additional consequences, based on the findings.

Two weeks ago, it came to light that Mr. Williams had wagered £100 on a July election occurring, merely three days before Mr. Sunak declared the election on May 22.

It has been alleged that he made a wager at the Ladbrokes betting shop on Sunday, May 19, in his constituency in Wales, which was the most secure Conservative seat in the region during the 2019 elections, boasting a majority exceeding 12,000.

Acknowledging his wager, Mr. Williams stated, "I placed a bet on the general election a few weeks back.

"This has led to some standard questions, and I assure you that I will fully cooperate with them."

The Gambling Commission is also probing wagers placed by members of the Conservative Party.

Labour's representative for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, Kevin Craig, who predicted a Conservative victory in the constituency, is currently under investigation and has been suspended by Sir Keir Starmer.

The most recent update from the Metropolitan Police on their ongoing gambling investigation has disclosed that seven of its officers are under scrutiny for allegedly placing bets on when the election would occur.

The complete roster of contenders for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr includes:

Jeremy Brignell-Thorp representing the Greens, Oliver Lewis from the Reform Party, Glyn Preston for the Liberal Democrats, Elwyn Vaughan of Plaid Cymru, Craig Williams, who was deselected, and Steve Witherden from the Labour Party.

The complete roster of individuals running for office in the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich district includes:

Charlie Caiger, unaffiliated

Kevin Craig, removed from selection

Tony Gould, Reform Party

Mike Hallatt, unaffiliated

Brett Alistair Mickelburgh, Liberal Democrats

Dan Pratt, Green Party

Patrick Spencer, Conservative Party

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