UK prime minister Rishi Sunak has vowed to remove from his party anyone who has breached gambling laws by betting on the general election.
It emerged on Thursday afternoon that Tony Lee, the Conservatives’ campaigning director, had been pulled into the Gambling Commission’s probe. He has now taken a leave of absence.
Lee, the husband of Tory election hopeful Laura Saunders, who is also being investigated, joins fellow prospective MP Craig Williams and a Metropolitan Police officer in the prime minister’s protection team in the probe.
Speaking on an election question-and-answer session on the BBC’s Question Time programme on Thursday night, Sunak said he was “incredibly angry” at the allegations.
““It’s a really serious matter – it’s right that they’re being investigated properly by the relevant law enforcement authorities,” he said.
“The integrity of that process should be respected.
“But what I can tell you is if anyone is found to have broken the rules, not only should they face the full consequences of the law, I will make sure that they are booted out of the Conservative Party.”
Saunders, Lee and the police officer are alleged to have made bets on the timing of the general election shortly before the prime minister’s announcement of the July 4 date; Williams has already admitted making such a bet.
Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005 states that using confidential information to gain an unfair advantage when betting could constitute a criminal offence.
Solicitors for Saunders, who is aiming to win the Bristol North West seat for the Conservatives, confirmed her role in the probe but said she is considering legal action over the “premature” publication of the news by the BBC – which defended its confidence in reporting on the grounds of public interest.
Elsewhere, Friday’s newspapers carried more details on betting activity around the time that the general election was announced.
Reporting data from the Betfair Exchange – part of the Flutter-owned brand – the Financial Times says that £2,9250 had been bet on a July election by May 20, two days before the date was revealed.
An additional £2,741 in wagers on a July election was placed on May 21, including a £415 bet at midday and a £425 bet later in the day.