A fourth Conservative official is being investigated over bets made on the date of the UK’s general election.
The Sunday Times has revealed that Nick Mason, chief data officer of the Conservative Party, is being investigated over dozens of bets placed on the election date. It is being reported that these bets, had they not drawn attention, would have netted him winnings in the thousands of pounds.
Mason has denied wrongdoing, but declined to comment on the ongoing investigation. He is understood to have taken time away from the Conservative Party.
A new scandal unfolds
Mason is the fourth Conservative to be implicated in the emerging election betting scandal, which first came to light following a bet placed by Parliamentary private secretary Craig Williams.
The £100 bet placed by Williams would have won him £500, but it was quickly referred to the Gambling Commission as a result of Williams’ position.
The regulator’s resultant investigation soon unveiled that another candidate, Laura Saunders (partner of Conservative director of campaigning Tony Lee), was also under suspicion. Lee has since taken a leave of absence from his position.
A police officer has also been arrested in connection with the investigation. The officer in question worked as part of the prime minister’s close protection team, and was suspended by the Metropolitan Police prior to his arrest last week.
UK Gambling Commission widens net
Initially, the UK Gambling Commission asked bookmakers to check any bets where customers stood to win more than £199 by betting on the election date. However, the net has now been widened as a result of recent revelations.
The UK Gambling Commission is now asking bookmakers to provide information on any election bets over £20.
Speaking on the BBC’s political programme "Question Time" last week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that he was "incredibly angry" when he was told about the allegations.
Sunak went on to say that “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."
Home Secretary James Cleverly was asked about the scandal in an interview with Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday morning.
When asked if he knew if any ministers had bet on the date of the election, Cleverly replied: “Not to my knowledge." Cleverly said that the Gambling Commission was investigating and it was "right and proper that we let them do their job."
Calls for action intensify
Opposition parties are now calling for the suspension of all implicated candidates, but with the deadline for replacing these candidates for the July election long gone, Sunak has been reluctant to take action so far.
Labour's shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson called the allegations "pretty shocking," stating that there would be "genuine disgust" amongst voters.
Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Daisy Cooper, has called for an independent inquiry into the "all-out scandal at the heart of the Conservative Party."
“Rishi Sunak must call a Cabinet Office inquiry into what is shaping up to be yet another scandal at the heart of Government,” Cooper said.
“This stinks of yet more sleaze and answers are needed. An inquiry is needed to understand who knew what and when.”
Former Tory cabinet minister Michael Gove, who announced last month that he would not be standing in the July election, was also critical. Speaking to the Sunday Times, Gove said "It looks like one rule for them and one rule for us … that’s the most potentially damaging thing.”
Labour campaign coordinator Pat McFadden has called for all candidates under investigation to be suspended.
“Surely you can understand that - yet again - this looks as though there is one rule for members of the Tory party, and another rule for everyone else, specifically on this occasion a serving police officer,” McFadden said, in a letter to the Prime Minister which was shared on X.
“If you can see how wrong that is, will you now at the very least remove your support for Mr. Williams and Ms. Saunders as Conservative election candidates?”
