The Gambling Commission has interviewed Liam Booth-Smith, Chief of Staff to Rishi Sunak, as a witness in the ongoing investigation over alleged bets on the date of the general election. Sources have confirmed that Booth-Smith is not suspected of any wrongdoing and had not placed any bets himself. However, he was requested to help the commission understand who may or may not have known about when polling day would be.
The saga began when Tory candidate Craig Williams, who was an aide in the last Parliament, was accused of betting on the election date. Williams apologised and said he made a “huge error of judgement” by placing a £100 bet on a July election three days before the announcement. Since then, more candidates, as well as seven Met Police officers, have been revealed to be under investigation.
The commission is currently scrutinising as many as 15 Conservative Party candidates and officials in total. Meanwhile, Labour has suspended its candidate, Kevin Craig, and the Tories have withdrawn support for two election candidates, Laura Saunders and Craig Williams.
The issue was raised during the BBC’s recent head-to-head TV debate. Sir Keir Starmer accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of having to be “bullied” into taking action, while Sunak said he had handled the matter properly. Booth-Smith’s interview as a witness indicates that the investigation is continuing, and it remains to be seen if any further sanctions will be imposed.
In conclusion, the Gambling Commission’s investigation into alleged bets on the election date has expanded beyond the initial accusation against Craig Williams. Liam Booth-Smith has been interviewed as a witness, but is not a suspect in the investigation. The Commission is scrutinising up to 15 Conservative Party candidates and officials, while Labour and the Tories have both suspended candidates. The issue has also been raised during a TV debate between the two leaders, with accusations and counter-arguments flying back and forth. It remains to be seen how the investigation and subsequent fallout will play out
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