Fourth Tory under investigation over alleged gambling on election timing

A fourth Conservative staffer is under investigation by the Gambling Commission for betting on the timing of the general election, adding further fuel to a scandal that has engulfed Rishi Sunak’s party just two weeks from polling day.

Nick Mason, the Tories’ chief data officer, has taken a leave of absence as the regulator probes his possible use of privileged information to bet on the vote, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.

The betting scandal has dealt a heavy blow to the Conservative party as it battles to revive its struggling campaign ahead of the July 4 general vote.

The Gambling Commission has widened its probe to look at hundreds of bets placed in the days before Sunak called an election and is sifting through wagers — for which individuals stood to gain more than £199 — to identify any potential links to the Conservative party.

The Financial Times has previously reported that there was an unusual burst of bets that preceded Sunak’s announcement on May 22.

The prime minister is facing severe criticism over his handling of the saga, as calls grow for him to suspend party figures who are being probed by the Gambling Commission.

Three Conservative party members are already under investigation: Craig Williams, Sunak’s closest parliamentary aide; Laura Saunders, a party staffer; and her husband, Tory campaign director Tony Lee.

Of those, Williams and Saunders are still standing as candidates in the general election.

An unnamed police officer working as part of Sunak’s protection team was arrested last week over “alleged bets” made on the election.

Sunak said he had been “incredibly angry” to learn of the allegations.

“It’s a really serious matter. It’s right that they’re being investigated properly by the relevant law enforcement authorities, including a criminal investigation by the police,” he said last week.

Michael Gove said the scandal was “sucking the oxygen out of the campaign” and that “a few individuals end up creating an incredibly damaging atmosphere for the party”.

“It looks like one rule for them and one rule for us,” he told the Sunday Times. “The perception that we operate outside the rules that we set for others. That was damaging at the time of Partygate and is damaging here.”

The investigation into Mason, which was first reported by the Sunday Times, is the latest in a series of gaffes that have rattled the Conservatives’ campaign since Sunak called the election in the rain on May 22.

One of the most damaging was the prime minister’s decision to leave D-Day anniversary celebrations in France early to attend a broadcast interview, a decision for which he was forced to apologise profusely.

A spokesperson for Mason said it would be inappropriate to comment during an investigation but he denied wrongdoing.

Asked about the gambling regulator’s investigation into Mason, a Conservative party spokesperson said: “As instructed by the Gambling Commission, we are not permitted to discuss any matters related to any investigation with the subject or any other persons.”