The Conservative Party finds itself in hot water as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak grapples with a scandal involving senior party members allegedly placing bets on the date of the upcoming election.
Amidst swirling controversy, Sunak has yet to confirm or deny if cabinet ministers were among those implicated.
The scandal has prompted sharp criticism from within the party. Dominic Grieve, former Attorney General, asserted that the Tories are receiving their comeuppance after years of internal turmoil.
Similarly, Paul Scully, a former Tory minister, characterized the looming election as a “punishment election,” exacerbated by the outcry over the betting allegations.
“It feels like we’re shooting ourselves in the foot and we’re not millipedes. We’ve only got two feet,” Scully remarked.
“When you’ve got people that are wanting to punish the Conservatives, they’re going to scrutinize everything we do. We’re making it easy for them to punish us even further.”
Paul Scully
The crisis deepened on Friday, June 21, as several cabinet ministers were compelled to publicly deny having placed bets on the election date just before Sunak’s announcement.
The Gambling Commission confirmed it is investigating potential criminal offenses.
Welsh Secretary David TC Davies categorically stated, “I just want to put on record that I certainly haven’t bet myself.” He expressed uncertainty about whether more names would emerge, amid fears the scandal might expand.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps also denied any involvement, as did Transport Minister Mark Harper. Friends of Penny Mordaunt, another senior Conservative, insisted she had not placed any bets.
The scandal has led to the temporary departure of Tony Lee, the party’s director of campaigning.
His wife, Laura Saunders, a candidate in Bristol with longstanding ties to the party, and Craig Williams, Sunak’s parliamentary private secretary, are under investigation for placing bets just before the Prime Minister’s surprise announcement.
Craig Williams, considered one of Sunak’s closest aides, has admitted to a “huge error of judgment” in betting on the election date.
Campaigning in Wales, Sunak deflected questions about whether he knew of other Conservative candidates or officials who had placed bets on a July 4 election.
He emphasized that “multiple investigations” are underway, which are both “independent” and “confidential.”
When pressed on whether any cabinet ministers were involved, Sunak reiterated that the issue was for the Gambling Commission to handle.
He vowed that anyone found to have broken the rules would “not only face the full consequences of the law, but I will ensure that they are booted out of the Conservative Party too.”
Sunak Faces Pressure Amid Betting Scandal
The Conservative Party has confirmed it has been contacted by the Gambling Commission regarding a small number of individuals.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats have called for the release of WhatsApp messages related to the betting.
“WhatsApp messages of the Prime Minister’s inner circle must be handed over to the Cabinet Office, or else it raises suspicion of yet more Conservative cover-ups.”
Sarah Olney
Sunak has expressed his “incredibly angry” reaction to the involvement of his close associates in the betting scandal.
Nevertheless, with just two weeks remaining before polling day, he refused to suspend two candidates currently under investigation by the Gambling Commission.
Betfair data indicates a surge of bets on a July poll placed on May 21, the day before Sunak called the election. Some of these bets were in the hundreds of pounds, placed at odds that could yield profits in the thousands.
While the Conservatives navigate this turbulent period, the pressure on Sunak and his party continues to mount, with voters and political opponents closely watching their every move.
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