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A Conservative parliamentary candidate beneath investigation over a wager positioned on the timing of the UK election is married to the get together’s director of campaigning, in line with Tory officers.
Laura Saunders, a Conservative staffer who’s standing for election in Bristol North West, is being investigated by the Playing Fee over an election-related wager, folks aware of the matter mentioned.
Individually, two get together officers mentioned that Saunders is the spouse of Tony Lee, the Conservative director of campaigning. On Thursday morning a Conservative get together spokesperson mentioned: “The director of campaigning took a depart of absence from CCHQ yesterday.”
The get together — already trailing Labour closely within the polls — is now embroiled in a scandal over bets positioned on the timing of the election.
The playing regulator launched a probe into Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s closest parliamentary aide final week and a police officer from the premier’s safety element was arrested earlier this week.
The Conservatives mentioned: “Now we have been contacted by the Playing Fee a couple of small variety of people. Because the Playing Fee is an unbiased physique, it wouldn’t be correct to remark additional, till any course of is concluded.”
Saunders and Lee didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
“If folks have used inside info to position bets, that’s deeply incorrect,” Michael Gove, housing secretary, informed the BBC. He added that he couldn’t “get an excessive amount of into the element whereas an investigation is occurring” however in precept such exercise was “reprehensible”.
The revelations threaten to additional harm the Tory get together’s already struggling re-election effort. A number of polls have predicted a catastrophic defeat for Sunak and his get together on the July 4 poll. The Tory marketing campaign has been hit by Sunak’s personal blunders, together with returning early from D-Day commemorations.
Saunders has labored for the get together since 2015, most not too long ago serving to to co-ordinate its worldwide work liaising with different centre-right events.
Lee beforehand described himself on-line as a political campaigner “with over 20 years expertise in operating elections” and mentioned he had led the profitable marketing campaign to re-elect former West Midlands mayor Andy Avenue in 2021. Lee’s LinkedIn web page was not energetic on Thursday.
He was appointed director of campaigning by deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden, who highlighted Lee’s work because the “mastermind” behind Avenue’s marketing campaign on the get together’s Spring Discussion board in March 2022.
The Playing Fee mentioned it was “investigating the opportunity of offences regarding the date of the election”. It added: “That is an ongoing investigation, and the Fee can not present any additional particulars presently.”
Craig Williams, who as parliamentary personal secretary to Sunak was one in all his most trusted aides, can also be beneath investigation after he positioned a £100 wager on a July election simply days earlier than his boss introduced the date of the vote.
Sunak mentioned he was “very dissatisfied” in Williams, who has admitted a “enormous error of judgment” after he “positioned a flutter” on the election date.
Williams has declined to say whether or not he positioned the wager on the idea of any inside info and Sunak refused to verify if Williams had recognized in regards to the date of the ballot, insisting it was not applicable to remark whereas an unbiased investigation was beneath approach.
On Monday, London’s Metropolitan Police arrested an officer in Sunak’s private safety element over “alleged bets” positioned on the timing of the election.
The Met confirmed {that a} member of its Royalty and Specialist Safety command had been held over “alleged bets”, with out figuring out whom he guarded. An individual aware of the scenario confirmed he had been a part of Sunak’s safety element.
