The Gambling Commission has interviewed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s chief of staff, Liam Booth-Smith, as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged betting on the date of the upcoming general election.
The inquiry aims to determine who may have had prior knowledge of the election date before it was officially announced. Last week, Booth-Smith was interviewed by the regulator to clarify these details, according to the BBC.
The investigation by the Gambling Commission focuses on allegations of cheating related to confidential information being used to gain an unfair betting advantage. Scotland Yard is expected to handle a smaller number of cases where additional offences, such as misconduct in public office, may have occurred.
Commission chief executive Andrew Rhodes emphasized the seriousness of the investigation. “We are focused on an investigation into confidential information being used to gain an unfair advantage when betting on the date of the general election,” Rhodes stated. “Our enforcement team has made rapid progress so far and will continue to work closely with the Metropolitan police to draw this case to a just conclusion.”
An update from the Metropolitan Police and the Gambling Commission revealed that at least seven officers from the force are currently under investigation.
In a related development, Prime Minister Sunak has withdrawn Tory support for Craig Williams’s bid to be re-elected as MP for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr. Williams admitted to placing a bet on the election date, which has caused significant controversy.
During a campaign visit in Derbyshire, Sunak was repeatedly questioned about whether he had disclosed the election date to Williams ahead of the official announcement. Addressing the media, Sunak expressed his anger over the situation. “I’ve been clear about this. I’m furious to have learned about these allegations,” he said. “We’ve initiated independent inquiries of our own, because I don’t have access to the Gambling Commission’s detail. You’ll recognize that while there are ongoing independent investigations, it’s just not right for me to say anything more about that.”
The outcome of the ongoing investigations remains to be seen, but the incident has already sparked considerable political and public interest.
