Party says it can no longer support Craig Williams and Laura Saunders – who are under investigation over alleged bets
The Conservative party has finally dropped the two candidates who are under investigation for allegedly placing suspicious bets about the date of the election, after previously standing by them.
A party spokesperson said: “As a result of ongoing internal inquiries, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as parliamentary candidates at the forthcoming general election. We have checked with the Gambling Commission that this decision does not compromise the investigation that they are conducting, which is rightly independent and ongoing.”
The information that led to that officer’s arrest for misconduct in public office, came from a Gambling Commission inquiry into the suspicious activity around the placing of bets on the general election date. Now further questions have been asked about whether further Met officers have been involved in the placing of bets.
The Met declined to be drawn on the number of officers involved in the new inquiries. A source said it was not clear how many officers the new information related to. The Met said: “We continue to liaise with the Gambling Commission and are assessing information they have provided.” The Gambling Commission investigation is into the use of confidential information to place bets, which could amount to cheating, which is a criminal offence.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
UK general election live: study finds ‘huge rise in working households pushed into poverty’ under ToriesTrades Union Congress report finds low wages under Conservatives have dragged an additional 1,350 children a week into poverty
Read more »
Senior Tories call for ban on political bets by MPs after election scandalIain Duncan Smith and Tobias Ellwood make case for new rules as questions raised over £500 wager
Read more »
Tories launch internal inquiry into election date bettingRishi Sunak says his party will ‘act on any relevant findings or information’ as he denies placing any bets himself
Read more »
Rishi Sunak refuses to say if more Tories face election bet inquiriesPM says he is ‘angry’ about allegations while Keir Starmer accuses him of ‘total lack of leadership’
Read more »
Tories facing ‘punishment election’ and vote betting allegations making it worse, says former ministerPaul Scully says things have gone ‘from bad to worse’ for the party since the election was called
Read more »
On the Hunt for Jeremy, the Tories’ invisible man this electionChancellor has gone to ground, but no such luck with Mark Harper, who TV viewers were forced to endure on Sunday
Read more »