Posted on: August 28, 2024, 06:42.
Last updated on: August 28, 2024, 06:42.
London’s Metropolitan Police (Met) has completed its investigation into the betting scandal that overshadowed the period before the British general election on July 4.
None of those investigated will be charged with abuse of office, the Met said. However, it is still possible they could face charges of gambling fraud under the Gambling Act.
The Gambling Commission is still investigating the activities of a number of senior Conservatives who are accused of placing bets on the timing of the election based on information known only to a small group. The bets were allegedly made just days before the then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the ‘snap’ election.
The downfall of the conservatives
The scandal was one of several factors that contributed to the Conservative Party’s devastating election defeat, with a poll by think tank Demos finding that the incident had further undermined voters’ confidence in the party’s ability to govern.
Among those charged was Craig Williams, who was Sunak’s chief adviser at the time. He admitted betting £100 on a July election at odds of 5/1.
Also pictured is Tony Lee, the Conservative Party’s campaign manager. Williams and Lee’s wife Laura Saunders had put themselves forward as possible MPs, but withdrew their candidacy after the scandal.
Embarrassingly for the Met, “at least seven” of its own officials, including one who was part of Sunak’s bodyguards, have also been investigated for insider betting on elections. Their cases are being investigated by the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards and the Gambling Commission.
High bar not reached
Abuse of office is a serious offence punishable by life imprisonment. But after examining the case of the high-ranking Conservatives, prosecutors concluded that “the high bar to proving abuse of office has not been met”.
“It has therefore been agreed between the Met and the Gambling Commission that the more appropriate offences to proceed with are those covered by the Gambling Act,” a Met spokesman said. “Although our involvement in the criminal investigation now ends, it is important that this is not misconstrued as an all-clear for those whose cases were investigated.”
The UK Gambling Act prohibits “cheating in gambling” but unfortunately does not provide a definition of what this means. It is therefore unclear whether insider betting constitutes fraud under the Act.
