Key facts
- Former Conservative MP Craig Williams has been charged with election betting offenses.
- Williams, an aide to former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, is among 15 individuals charged by the Gambling Commission.
- The charges relate to allegedly using advance knowledge of the 2024 general election date for betting advantage.
- Other charged individuals include Conservative candidate Laura Saunders and Senedd member Russell George.
- The accused are scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on June 13, 2025.
Fifteen individuals, including former Conservative MP Craig Williams, have been charged with election betting offenses by the Gambling Commission. Williams, who previously served as an aide to then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, is accused of using confidential information about the timing of the 2024 general election to gain an unfair advantage in betting markets.
Among those charged are Laura Saunders, the former Conservative candidate for Bristol North West, and her partner Anthony Lee, who was a former director of campaigning for the party. Russell George, a Member of the Senedd, has also been charged and subsequently suspended from the Welsh Conservative group. The investigation was initiated last year following reports of bets placed on the election date.
The charged individuals are expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on June 13, 2025. Offences under Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005 carry a potential penalty of a fine or imprisonment for up to two years. The Conservative Party has stated that current members of staff charged are suspended with immediate effect and that the party is cooperating fully with the investigation.