Rishi Sunak’s parliamentary private secretary placed a £100 (NZ$206.85) bet on a July election three days before it was announced.  

Craig Williams, who is seeking re-election in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, has confirmed he is under investigation by the gambling watchdog after he “put a flutter” on a July poll.  

“I’ve been contacted by a journalist about Gambling Commission inquiries into one of my accounts and thought it best to be totally transparent,” he said.  

“I put a flutter on the general election some weeks ago. This has resulted in some routine inquiries and I confirm I will fully co-operate with these.  

“I don’t want it to be a distraction from the campaign. I should have thought through how it looks.”  

According to The Guardian, the gambling watchdog launched a probe after the 39-year-old placed a bet with bookmaker Ladbrokes in his local constituency of Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, on Sunday, May 19. On May 22, Sunak called a snap election for July 4. 

Still on ballot 

It is understood that the Conservative Party will not take any action against Williams at this stage, but will wait until the Gambling Commission inquiry concludes. 

Even if the party were to withdraw its support from him, he would still appear on the ballot paper as the Tory candidate because it is too late for that to be changed. 

Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general, said claims of Williams placing a £100 bet on the general election were “utterly extraordinary”. 

“Rishi Sunak has sat on this information for more than a week but has lacked any backbone to take action. Once again Rishi Sunak has been exposed as utterly weak. 

“After all the Tory financial scandals, this is more evidence that the Tories have learned nothing, haven’t changed, and if given five more years, the chaos will just continue.” 

Oliver Lewis, Reform UK’s candidate for the Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr seat, called on the Conservatives to withdraw their support for Williams. 

“This is completely tawdry, low-grade behaviour by somebody who was at the right hand of the Prime Minister,” he said. 

“How can he turn to the people of Montgomeryshire with a straight face and suggest that he is worthy of their vote?” 

He added: “It stretches the bounds of credibility to believe that he did not do this with full knowledge of the date. 

“The Tory party should remove their support for his candidacy.” 

Williams is facing four other rivals to retain his constituency seat: Steve Witherden for Labour, Elwyn Vaughan for Plaid Cymru, Glyn Preston for the Liberal Democrats and Jeremy Brignell-Thorp for The Green Party. 

‘Turn a quick buck’ 

Commenting on the allegations regarding Mr Williams, Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrat deputy leader, said: “Not content with gambling with the country’s future, it now appears that a senior Conservative may have been trying to turn a quick buck on the election date. 

“Given that Craig Williams is Rishi Sunak’s close personal aide, it is incumbent on the Prime Minister to immediately suspend him as a candidate and Conservative Party member while the inquiry takes place. 

“Voters are being taken for granted by Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives.” 

A Conservative party spokesman said: “We are aware of contact between a Conservative candidate and the Gambling Commission. 

“It is a personal matter for the individual in question. As the Gambling Commission is an independent body, it wouldn’t be proper to comment further, until any process is concluded.” 

A Gambling Commission spokesman said: “The Gambling Commission does not typically confirm or deny whether any investigations are under way unless or until they are concluded, or if arrests are made or charges are brought during a criminal investigation. 

“If someone uses confidential information in order to gain an unfair advantage when betting, this may constitute an offence of cheating under Section 42 of the Gambling Act, which is a criminal offence” 

Williams, who has held his private secretary role since October 2022, was elected an MP for Montgomeryshire in December 2019 after winning a majority of 12,138 (35.5 per cent). 

He previously won the marginal seat of Cardiff North in 2015, but lost that in June 2017 to Labour MP Anna McMorrin. 

Montgomeryshire was abolished after a 2023 review into boundary changes and it became part of a new Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr constituency. 

-AP