Top Tories Swept Up in Election Betting Scandal: Former Deputy PM Oliver Dowden Latest to be Interviewed Amidst Gambling Commission Probe

Ex-deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden questioned in election wager investigation

Sir Oliver Dowden joins Rishi Sunak's previous parliamentary assistant Craig Williams and ex-Downing Street chief of staff Liam Booth-Smith as individuals questioned by the Gambling Commission.

Senior political reporter @joncraig

Sunday, September 29, 2024, 4:

Sky News has learned that Sir Oliver Dowden, the former deputy prime minister, is the highest-ranking supporter of Rishi Sunak to be questioned in the formal inquiry regarding wagers placed on the timing of the general election.

He joins Mr. Sunak's previous parliamentary assistant, Craig Williams, and the ex-chief of staff at Downing Street, Liam Booth-Smith, as those interviewed by the Gambling Commission, the official agency overseeing gambling regulation in the UK.

According to Sky News, Mr. Sunak has not been interviewed so far, but it is understood that "numerous people," among them officials from the Conservative Party, have been.

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An individual familiar with Sir Oliver's situation stated that the ex-high-ranking cabinet member has never been the subject of an inquiry.

Sir Oliver was reported to have cooperated with law enforcement, providing information for their investigation concerning others. This interaction reportedly occurred in the early summer, with the officers in question being members of the Gambling Commission.

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The investigation, which began in June, is expected to extend for an additional three to six months.

Reports have surfaced that Sir Oliver was interviewed and the commission confiscated "hundreds of documents" from Conservative Party headquarters, coinciding with the first day of the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.

In a twist of irony, the main office of the Gambling Commission, situated on the fourth floor of Victoria Square House in Victoria Square, Birmingham, is merely a half-mile or a 10-minute walk away from the ICC, the venue for the Conservative Party conference.

Sir Oliver received a knighthood and Mr. Booth-Smith was granted a peerage as part of the ex-prime minister's farewell honors, which were made public shortly before the polls closed on July 4.

The panel is probing if individuals privy to confidential information wagered on a July electoral event, violating betting regulations, just before Mr. Sunak's unexpected disclosure of the election date on May 22.

An informant revealed to Sky News that the inquiry into betting related to the general election continues. The Gambling Commission has confiscated numerous documents from Conservative Campaign Headquarters.

The Gambling Commission has additionally hired former police officers as investigators to advance the case. The case is anticipated to persist for three to six months.

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When inquired whether Mr. Sunak had been questioned, the source responded, "I don't think he has. There have been a lot of interviews with various people at CCHQ and elsewhere."

Investigators from the Gambling Commission have conducted several inspections at Conservative Campaign Headquarters. They have questioned Oliver Dowden as part of their inquiry.

What does the election wagering controversy entail?

The controversy surrounding bets on the election date started in June, with Craig Williams, previously the MP for Montgomeryshire and parliamentary private secretary to Mr. Sunak, acknowledging that the Gambling Commission was investigating him.

Mr. Williams wagered £100 on a July election at a Ladbrokes in his district mere days before Mr. Sunak declared on May 22 that the election would take place on July 4. Given the odds then, he stood to gain £500.

"In a post on X dated June 13, he mentioned, "I placed a bet on the General Election a few weeks back. This has led to some standard investigations, and I assure full cooperation with them."

"I don't want it to divert attention from the campaign. I should have considered its appearance more carefully."

Mr. Williams, acknowledging a significant mistake, was no longer supported by the Conservative Party as their representative for the newly formed Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr constituency. Despite this, he still appeared on the ballot and ended up in third place, trailing behind both the Labour and Reform UK candidates.

During the investigation by the Gambling Commission, Tony Lee, the campaign director for the party, along with his wife Laura Saunders, the Conservative candidate for Bristol North West, came under scrutiny.

On the day the investigation was announced, Saunders expressed her intention to "cooperate with the Gambling Commission," and Lee temporarily stepped down from his position.

Subsequently, Nick Mason, who serves as the data chief for the party, marked the fourth Conservative figure to come under investigation. He has temporarily stepped down and refuted all accusations of misconduct.

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In an unexpected development, Labour candidate Kevin Craig was suspended by his party during the election after he placed bets against his own success, prompting the Gambling Commission to initiate an investigation into his actions.

Mr. Craig, who is running for office in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, shared on social media platform X that he has occasionally engaged in betting as a form of entertainment throughout his life.

"Some time back, I was convinced I wouldn't capture this seat, so I placed a wager on the Conservatives securing victory in this area, planning to donate any proceeds to community charities," he explained.

"I made this wager without any advance awareness of the results, and I admit it was a significant error. I offer my sincere apologies."

On June 27, Sky News reported that Mr. Booth-Smith, who was at the time the top adviser to Mr. Sunak in Downing Street, had been questioned by top officials from the Gambling Commission regarding who was aware of the election timing.

Sources stressed that Mr. Booth-Smith was merely questioned as a witness and sought for assistance, not considered a suspect.

Sky News has reached out to Mr. Dowden and the Conservative Party for their comments.

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