Former MP and 14 others to face trial over UK election betting
Former Conservative politicians are among those accused of cheating when they placed bets on the date of last year’s general election.
UK.- Fifteen people including several former Conservative politicians will face trial on charges brought by the British Gambling Commission related to betting on the date of last year’s British general election. They are accused of cheating at gambling by using inside knowledge to place bets.
Those charged, include Craig Williams, the former MP for Montgomeryshire and parliamentary private secretary to then prime minister Rishi Sunak, along with Russell George, who currently represents Montgomeryshire in the Welsh Senedd now as an independent after being suspended from the Conservatives, and Thomas James, the former director of the Welsh Conservatives who was also suspended from the party.
Defendants appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Friday. George, James and ten others indicated that they would plead not guilty. Williams, who has also been charged with three counts of enabling or assisting others to cheat as well as cheating himself, did not indicate how he would plead. Neither did Jacob Wilmer, a former government special adviser from Richmond, West London, or Jeremy Hunt, an ex-police officer from Surrey who was part of Sunak’s Metropolitan police close protection unit.
All defendents were released on unconditional bail pending a preliminary hearing at Southwark Crown Court on July 11. If convicted, the defendants could face prison sentences of up to two years.
The charges relate to allegations connected to what became known as “Gamblegate” in British media after several politicians and police officers were accused of placing bets that the election would be called for July 4 2024 shortly before the date was confirmed by Sunak.
The Metropolitan Police conducted an investigation and found that the evidence available did not meet the threshold to prove misconduct in public office, but, the Gambling Commission continued to investigate whether any bets placed constituted breaches of the Gambling Act through the use of confidential information to gain an unfair advantage. Such offences come under its remit rather than that of the police.
