June 23rd 2024.
According to reports from British media, the chief data officer of Britain's Conservative Party has decided to take a temporary leave of absence. This comes after serious allegations have surfaced that members of the governing party have been using confidential information to place bets on the date of Britain's upcoming national election on July 4th.
The Sunday Times and other news outlets have revealed that Nick Mason is now the fourth Conservative official to be investigated by the UK's Gambling Commission for potentially participating in these bets before the official election date was announced. The Times has even claimed that numerous bets were placed, with potential winnings reaching thousands of pounds.
Adding to the already growing list of those under investigation are two other Conservative election candidates, Laura Saunders and Craig Williams. It has also been reported that Saunders' husband, Tony Lee, who serves as the Conservative director of campaigning, has also taken a leave of absence after facing allegations of being involved in the betting scandal.
In a shocking turn of events, one of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's police bodyguards was arrested on Monday for suspected misconduct in public office. This came after the Gambling Commission confirmed that they were looking into possible offenses related to the election date.
The scandal has created quite a stir, especially since it has come just two weeks before the national election. It has dealt a major blow to Prime Minister Sunak's Conservative Party, which is expected to lose to the opposition Labour Party after being in power for 14 years.
Sunak himself expressed his anger over the allegations, stating that he was "incredibly angry" and that anyone found to have broken the law should be expelled from the party. The Prime Minister had announced on May 22nd that the parliamentary elections would take place on July 4th, catching many by surprise since it was originally expected to happen in the fall.
One of the candidates under investigation, Laura Saunders, who is running in Bristol, has stated that she will cooperate fully with the investigation. Meanwhile, Craig Williams, who served as Sunak's parliamentary private secretary and was also a candidate in the upcoming election, has admitted to being investigated by the Gambling Commission for placing a £100 bet on a July election before the official date was announced.
The situation has caused quite a stir among other senior Conservative members. Michael Gove, in particular, has strongly condemned the alleged betting and has even compared it to the infamous "Partygate" scandal that resulted in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's removal from office in 2022. The scandal involved politicians and officials breaking lockdown rules by holding parties and gatherings in government buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
Echoing Gove's sentiments, Daisy Cooper, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, has stated that people are "sick and tired of this sleaze" and has called for Sunak to intervene and order an official inquiry. However, the Conservative Party has stated that they cannot comment on the ongoing investigations.
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