In the United Kingdom, a fourth Conservative Party delegate is being investigated after bets were allegedly placed on the date of the upcoming general election.
The Gambling Commission is looking into the matter after a newspaper report stated the party’s chief data officer Nick Mason had allegedly placed scores of bets with the potential to have generated winnings of thousands of pounds.
Mason, who is also a local councilor in the county of Herefordshire, has taken leave of absence from his senior role in the party, less than two weeks before the electorate has their say in the polling booth.
The latest revelation in this scandal increases the pressure on beleaguered incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who is leading his party into the election on July 4 against a tide of mounting strife.
A comment from the Conservative Party said it was “not permitted to discuss any matters related” to the Gambling Commission probe, while a spokesman for Mr. Mason told the BBC it would not be appropriate to speak during the investigation but he has denied any wrongdoing.
Background to the election betting scandal
Two weeks ago it was revealed that Craig Williams, a close associate and parliamentary aide of the Prime Minister, was under the spotlight for placing a £100 bet on a July election, three days before Sunak announced the snap poll.
Williams intimated he “put a flutter on the general election some weeks ago”, followed by a confession the next day that he had made a “huge error of judgment”.
He is due to be a candidate for the party in the July 4 national vote, which was previously considered to be at risk of influence from AI ‘deepfakes’.
Since then, a further four people have triggered action by the gambling industry watchdog, including a London police officer attached to Sunak’s security brief.
Conservative Party candidate for the Bristol North West constituency, Laura Saunders, her partner Tony Lee who is also the party’s campaigns director, Nick Mason, and the policeman have been identified.
The officer is facing immediate action, having been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in office, over the alleged bets. He is thought to be a member of the Metropolitan Police force Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP) Command, which is tasked with the safety of the British Royal Family and political figures.
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