Fourth Tory calls for legitimate inquiry into election betting allegations

A fourth senior Conservative is being investigated by the gaming commission over alleged bets he made during the general election.

The Sunday Times reported that the party’s respected information officer, Nick Mason, allegedly placed dozens of bets, which the newspaper said would have resulted in hundreds of kilos of winnings.

A spokesman for Mr Mason told the BBC it would not be appropriate to comment while the investigation was ongoing but denied any wrongdoing.

Mr Mason, who may also be a Conservative councilor in Herefordshire, has now taken leave of absence from his Tory celebration ceremony on July 4, 11 days ahead of the election year.

The Conservative Party said it was not allowed to discuss any issues related to any sports fees investigation.

Labour’s marketing campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden has written to the commission asking it to “make public the names of any other individuals you are investigating in relation to this matter”.

He wrote, “Postal ballots have already been sent, millions of people will cast their votes this week. When doing so they must have all the relevant facts about this scam.”

The BBC has previously reported that two Conservative election applicants and another party MLA are also being investigated.

Laura Saunders and Craig Williams have both confirmed they are being investigated by the Playing Commission.

Ms Saunders, the party’s candidate in Bristol North West, has been working for the Tories since 2015.

Ms Saunders’s wife is Conservative campaign director Tony Lee, who is being investigated over an alleged bookmaking scandal. He has taken a leave of absence from his work.

Allegations of participating in electioneering first fell on Mr Williams, one of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s closest aides, who allegedly bet £100 on the July voting year three days before the election was due to be voted on.

Mr Williams, who was the Tory MP for 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein until the election was called and is standing again in the new constituency of Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, had earlier apologized and said he had made a “huge mistake”. Of judgement”.

Asked by the BBC, he declined to say whether he had gambled based on inside information.

Speaking about the allegations on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Home Secretary James Cleverley said that the Playing Commission is investigating and that it is “right and appropriate that we let them do their job”.

Asked whether any minister had gambled during the election, Mr Chaturai said: “Not to my knowledge.”

Following the latest allegation, a Conservative spokesperson noted: “In accordance with Gambling Commission instructions, we are not permitted to discuss any matters relating to any investigation with the subject or any other individual.”

Ditching the past, Mr Sunak said he was “incredibly angry” when told of the allegations, promising to “boot out” anyone who harmed gambling regulations from the Conservative Party.

Mr Sunak announced 4 July as a general election on 22 May, surprising most of Westminster.

If a person uses secret knowledge to gain an unfair advantage when placing a bet, this is usually a serious offense under category 42 of Playing Function.

A spokesperson for Playing Fee told the BBC that it was “investigating the possibility of crimes relating to the election date”.

The commission also said it would not be handing over any additional information about the investigation or what is being considered as it is an ongoing process.

“We are not confirming or denying the identity of any individual involved in this investigation,” it added.

Both Labor and the Liberal Democrats called on Mr Sunak to suspend those under investigation.

Labour’s shadow training secretary Bridget Phillipson described the allegations as “quite shocking” and noted that there could be “genuine hatred” among citizens.

Daisy Cooper, deputy head of the Liberal Democrats, said the Prime Minister should set up a Cabinet Bureau to investigate these stories, which she described as “an all-out scandal at the heart of the Conservative Party”.

He said, “People are fed up with this mess. Day by day, hour by hour the Conservative government is getting more and more involved in it.”

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has condemned the latest stories, and compared the debate over the whole Covid-19 situation to Partygate.

“It seems like a rule for them and a rule for us,” the Tory cabinet minister, who is not standing again in the election, told the Sunday Times.

It has also emerged that a police officer working as part of the Prime Minister’s uniform security team was arrested after being accused of betting during the elections.

The officer was first suspended by the Metropolitan Police and then arrested on charges of misconduct in public office.

The man has been granted bail pending further investigation.

Met was contacted through the playing commission last Friday. It informed the force that it was investigating alleged bookmaking carried out by Mets royalty and a police constable from the Specialist Coverage Command.

You will get the complete list of applicants bristol north west And Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr Constituencies on the BBC Information web page.