Tories under investigation over the election betting scandal have likened their predicament to a “show trial” in growing anger over Scotland Yard’s decision to launch a criminal inquiry in the final week of the campaign.
Sources have complained that the police intervention has destroyed reputations and wrecked campaigns, amid claims that it is highly unlikely any Conservative politician or official will ever be charged with any offence.
Police are investigating “a small number” of cases to assess whether any criminal offences, such as misconduct in public office, have been committed. Separately, the Gambling Commission is investigating as many as 15 Tories for placing bets on the election under a section of the gambling Act intended to prevent cheating.
But the betting watchdog has disclosed that it has only ever prosecuted one case for cheating since the introduction of the Gambling Act in 2005 involving a greyhound trainer subsequently jailed for drugging his own dogs to manipulate the race odds.
Sources have pointed out that the Tories caught up in the scandal are accused of placing opportunist and small-scale bets based on inside knowledge – and suggest that is far removed from a sophisticated plot to drug dogs to manipulate the outcome of a race.
One source said: “This is like a show trial. They are paying a ridiculously high price. Reputations have been shredded in a febrile atmosphere during an election.”