British Chancellor Rishi Sunak said on Thursday that anyone who used inside information to bet on the date of the UK’s July 4 general election should be expelled from the Conservative party.
Mr Sunak told the BBC he was “incredibly angry” to learn of allegations that Conservative politicians had bet on the election date, and said that if they were found to have broken the law “they should face the full force of the law”.
“We are of course investigating appropriately with the relevant law enforcement authorities,” he said, “and if anyone is found to have breached the rules we will ensure that they not only face the full consequences of the law but also be expelled from the Conservative Party.”
It’s an uncomfortable experience for Sunak, whose Conservative party is trailing the main opposition Labour party by as much as 20 points in most pre-election polls, two weeks before the general election.
Asked earlier about reports that the UK Gambling Commission was investigating the Conservative Party’s second candidate for betting on the timing of the election, Housing Secretary Michael Gove told the BBC that it was “very wrong” if he used inside information to place bets.
“I can’t go into the details of what happened because the investigation is ongoing,” Gove said, “but I can speak to the broad principles. As you say, this is reprehensible.”
Mr Sunak announced on May 22 that parliamentary elections would be held on July 4. The date was kept a closely guarded secret and came as a surprise to many, including members of Mr Sunak’s ruling Conservative party, as the vote had been expected to take place in the autumn.
Under UK electoral law, the prime minister has the power to declare an election date up to five years after the last election. Many of Sunak’s party members say the prime minister had a deadline of January 2025 to declare the date too early.
British media, including the PA news agency and the BBC, reported on Thursday that Conservative candidate Laura Sanders, the wife of the Conservative campaign manager Tony Lee, is being investigated by the commission for suspected gambling offences.
Mr Sanders’ lawyer, Namah Zaroug of Astrea Linskills, said the company would cooperate with the commission’s investigation but had no further to add. “It is inappropriate to conduct an investigation of this nature through the media and to do so could jeopardise the work of the Gambling Commission and the integrity of its investigations,” the statement said.
“The BBC’s publication of the article was premature and a clear breach of Mr Sanders’ right to privacy. Mr Sanders is considering legal action against the BBC and other publishers for infringing his right to privacy,” it added.
The Conservative Party said the UK Gambling Commission had contacted them about a “small number of individuals” in connection with the investigation.
The party declined to immediately comment on the new allegations until the committee’s investigation is completed, but said in a statement that Li had taken a leave of absence from the party on Wednesday.
The scandal widened following reports on Wednesday that one of Mr Sunak’s police bodyguards had been arrested on suspicion of betting on the date of the UK general election before it was announced.
The Metropolitan police said a constable from the Royal and Specialist Protection Command was arrested on Monday on suspicion of official misconduct.
Last week Craig Williams, a close aide to Sunak, who is seeking re-election to the House of Commons, acknowledged he was under investigation by the Gambling Commission for betting 100 pounds ($128) before the date of the July election was announced.
Gambling is popular in the UK, with bookmakers offering odds on everything from sports to elections, and using inside information to cheat is a crime.
