Former Conservative MP Craig Williams appeared in court alongside 14 others charged with betting offences linked to the 2024 general election.
Charges were brought by the Gambling Commission into alleged betting on the date of the election, which could see defendants facing prison sentences of up to two years if convicted.
Williams, the former MP for Montgomeryshire and senior aide to former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was charged with cheating at gambling and three counts of enabling or assisting others to cheat.
Williams was among three defendants who gave no indication of a plea at this stage.
Williams Allegedly Placed £100 On A July Election With Ladbrokes
On May 19 of last year, Williams is alleged to have placed a £100 bet on the general election to take place in July at 5/1.
It had been widely expected that the general election would take place in the autumn but three days before Sunak announced the July 4 date, Williams put money down through an online Ladbrokes account that would have required him to provide personal details.
Ladbrokes, widely regarded as one of the biggest betting sites in the UK, flagged the wager immediately and Williams’ name was raised as a ‘politically exposed person’ so the bet never officially went through.
In June, the Conservatives withdrew their support for Williams’ candidacy in the election and announced if he still managed to retain his seat he would not be granted the party whip.
Williams apologised for the bet, calling it a “huge error of judgement” and both he and Sunak declined to comment when asked if it was the subject of inside information.
Who Was Involved In The Election Betting Scandal?
Besides Williams, there are 14 others with alleged involvement in the 2024 election betting scandal.
- Alister Jack – Former Tory MP
- Philip Davies – Former Tory MP
- Tony Lee – Conservative Director of Campaigning
- Laura Saunders – Wife of Tony Lee
- Nick Mason – Conservative Chief Data Officer
- Liam Booth-Smith – Rishi Sunak’s former Chief of Staff
- Russell George – Conservative Senedd member
- Seven police offers
- Member of Sunak’s security team
Nick Mason is believed to be a serial offender, allegedly placing ‘dozens’ of bets through UK online casinos over an unspecified period which would have amounted to thousands of pounds in winnings.
All were released on unconditional bail and will return for a preliminary hearing on July 11.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
