Ex-Conservative lawmaker and 14 others charged over UK election timing bets

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LONDON (Reuters) – A former lawmaker in Britain’s now opposition Conservative Party has been charged alongside 14 others with gambling offences over bets made on the timing of the national election last year, the Gambling Commission said on Monday.

Britain’s election dates are not fixed and the timing of a vote, decided by the prime minister, is subject to fevered speculation, with bookmakers taking bets on possible outcomes.

News that insiders and others linked to the Conservative Party had placed bets on the date was an early blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s re-election campaign.

Craig Williams, a Sunak aide, lost his seat in the election.

Others charged included Russell George, 50, a Conservative member of the Welsh Parliament, and Laura Saunders, 37, a losing candidate in the election.

The Conservative Party said it believed that those working in politics must act with integrity and it had suspended current members of staff who had been charged.

“Our party is now under new leadership and we are cooperating fully with the Gambling Commission to ensure that their investigation can conclude swiftly and transparently,” a spokesperson said.

The Gambling Commission said those investigated were suspected of using confidential knowledge of the election date to gain an unfair advantage in betting markets, an offence under the Gambling Act 2005.

“The Commission is committed to upholding the law and will continue to take robust action against illegal betting practices, including investigating and prosecuting offences,” it said in a statement.

The 15 charged will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on June 13, the Gambling Commission said.

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Kate Holton and Giles Elgood)