Gambling Allegations Rock Conservative Party Ahead of Election

Britain's gambling regulator is investigating Laura Saunders, a Conservative Party candidate, over an alleged bet on the July 4 election timing. This follows a similar probe into another candidate, Craig Williams. The ongoing investigations have raised concerns ahead of the election, which forecasts predict will be challenging for the party.

Britain's gambling regulator is investigating a second candidate from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party over an alleged bet relating to the timing of the July 4 election, according to local media reports on Thursday. The reports named the candidate as Laura Saunders, who is running for a seat in the southwest English city of Bristol. The BBC said she is married to the party's campaign director.

Saunders did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. A spokesperson for the Gambling Commission said it was investigating "the possibility of offences concerning the date of the election," when asked about the reports.

Further details could not be provided given the ongoing investigation, the spokesperson added. It comes after another Conservative candidate and close aide to Sunak, Craig Williams, last week apologised after he placed a bet on when the election would happen, also triggering an investigation by the gambling regulator.

"We have been contacted by the Gambling Commission about a small number of individuals. As the Gambling Commission is an independent body, it wouldn't be proper to comment further, until any process is concluded," a Conservative Party spokesman told the BBC. The Conservative Party declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

Sunak's announcement last month that the election, which polls forecast the Conservatives are set to lose, would be held on July 4 took most lawmakers and voters by surprise. London police said on Wednesday that they had arrested a police officer working in a special protection unit over alleged bets made on the timing of the election. The BBC reported the officer worked as part of Sunak's close protection team. ($1 = 0.7870 pounds)

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