Sunak faces call for UK election date betting probe

June 20, 2024

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has faced calls on Thursday to launch an inquiry after a member of his security detail was arrested for allegedly betting on the timing of the general election.

London’s Metropolitan Police said it was told by the gambling commission that a close protection officer was being investigated over the alleged bets.

The regulator had already been looking into claims that Conservative party candidate Craig Williams, who served as Sunak’s ministerial aide, placed a bet on when the election would be held.

A second candidate from Sunak’s party, Laura Saunders, is now also under investigation about an alleged bet on the date of the poll, the BBC reported on Wednesday evening.

Saunders is married to the Tories’ director of campaigns, Tony Lee. He “took a leave of absence from CCHQ (Conservative Campaign Headquarters) yesterday” (Wednesday), the party said.

CCHQ confirmed earlier that the Gambling Commission had contacted it about “a small number of individuals”, without commenting further.

Senior minister Michael Gove meanwhile told reporters on the campaign trail that the fact Saunders was facing an investigation “doesn’t look great”.

He said he could not comment on the specific allegations but earlier said the “broad principle” of using inside information to place bets was “reprehensible”.

Labour leader Keir Starmer, tipped to succeed Sunak in Downing Street, called on the prime minister to withdraw his support for those allegedly involved.

Sunak announced that a general election would be held on July 4, taking his own party by surprise as he still had six months to call a vote.

The Tories are expected to be dumped out of office after 14 years in power, with polls consistently putting the main opposition Labour Party some 20 points ahead.

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