Political reporter
Fifteen people including former Conservative MP Craig Williams have been charged with betting offences by the Gambling Commission.
The investigation was launched last year following bets placed on the timing of the 2024 general election.
The commission said the investigation focused on individuals “suspected of using confidential information – specifically advance knowledge of the proposed election date – to gain an unfair advantage in betting markets”.
Before the election was called, Williams was the MP for Montgomeryshire and an aide to then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The group of those charged includes Russell George, a Conservative Member of the Senedd; Laura Saunders, the former Conservative parliamentary candidate in Bristol North West, and her partner Anthony Lee, a former director of campaigning for the Conservatives; and Nick Mason, a former chief data officer for the party.
Others on the list are:
- Simon Chatfield, 51, of Lower Bourne, Farnham
- Amy Hind, 34, of Loughton, Essex
- Anthony Hind, 36, Loughton, Essex,
- Former police officer Jeremy Hunt, 55, of Horne, Horley
- Thomas James, 38, of Brecon, Wales
- Charlotte Lang, 36, of Brixton, London
- Iain Makepeace, 47, of Newcastle Upon Tyne
- Paul Place, 53, of Hammersmith, London
- James Ward, 40, London
- Jacob Willmer, 39, of Richmond, London
Those charged are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on 13 June.
On 22 May, Rishi Sunak announced the general election would be held on 4 July – a decision that overturned expectations of an autumn poll.
