Craig Williams, a former Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire, is one of 15 individuals charged with gambling offenses related to betting on the timing of the U.K.'s 2024 snap general election.
The charges, announced Monday by the Gambling Commission, stem from an investigation into whether insiders used confidential information for betting advantage.
Williams, along with the other defendants, is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 13.
Among those charged are Laura Saunders, a former Conservative candidate who was dropped during an internal probe, and her husband Tony Lee, previously the party's director of campaigning.
The investigation began in June 2024, shortly after then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a surprise election. Under U.K. law, calling an election is at the discretion of the sitting prime minister. The Commission said the individuals allegedly used advance knowledge of the election date to place bets, which could constitute cheating under Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005.
A separate investigation by the Metropolitan Police was closed last August without charges.
Other high-profile figures charged include:
- Simon Chatfield, former chief marketing officer at Conservative HQ (CCHQ)
- Russell George, Welsh Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire
- Iain Makepeace, CCHQ’s head of creative
- Nick Mason, former chief data officer
- Paul Place, former head of design
- Several ex-Conservative aides including Jacob Willmer, James Ward, Charlotte Lang, Thomas James, Anthony Hind, and Amy Hind
- Former police officer Jeremy Hunt (not the former Chancellor)
A Conservative Party spokesperson said the party supports full cooperation with the Gambling Commission, stating:
“We believe those in politics must act with integrity. Current staff members who have been charged are suspended with immediate effect. These incidents occurred in May last year. Our party is now under new leadership and is committed to transparency as the investigation proceeds.” Photo by David Woolfall, Wikimedia commons.