Security Guard Accused of Gambling on Election Outcome featuring Rishi Sunak
UK's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's personal protection officer has been taken into custody for supposedly wagering on the impending general election's date.
The unidentified officer is believed to be a part of the London Metropolitan Police Force's Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP) Command unit.
The Met Police confirmed the individual's arrest on Monday, suspecting them of misconduct in public office. They have been suspended from duty and the case has been handed over to the force’s Directorate of Professional Standards and the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
The arrest occurred a week after reports about Sunak's closest political advisor, Craig Williams, being probed by the UK Gambling Commission for betting on a July election, three days before Sunak declared the election. Williams aspired to contest in the election as the Conservative candidate for Montgomeryshire, Wales.
Betting Controversy Intensifies
On a Wednesday, it came to light that another Conservative Party candidate was being scrutinized as well. The Independent has named her as Laura Saunders, who is contesting for MP in Bristol North West. Saunders is the wife of Tony Lee, the Conservative Party’s director of campaigns.
In contrast to the US, political event betting is legal in the UK, though sportsbookskeep a sharp eye on any market where a select group of individuals may have privileged details about an event's outcome before it becomes public.
Betting with insider information is against the law in the UK, carrying a prison sentence of up to five years. Misconduct in public office, on the other hand, can lead to a life sentence.
It's understood that the gambling commission recently contacted domestic betting operators, urging them to analyze all significant bets placed on a July election.
‘Grievous Mistake’
Sunak announced the July 4 election on May 22. The announcement was unexpected as Sunak's Conservative Party lagged behind in polls since the start of 2022. Some sportsbooks display the odds of a government change at 1/200, suggesting a 99.5% probability.
Sunak was under no legal obligation to call an election until December 2025. In the UK, general elections must occur no more than five years apart, but their timing is otherwise determined by the prime minister.
Williams stated to the BBC last week that he had committed a "huge mistake," yet he declined to disclose whether the bet involved inside info, citing the ongoing UKGC investigation. "I don't want it to serve as a distraction from the campaign. I should have considered the implications," he concluded.
