Sir Robert Buckland 'deeply hurt' by Tory election betting scandal

Sir Robert Buckland said he is 'hurt and rather angry' after it was revealed leading Conservatives are being investigated over betting on the date of the General Election.

And the Swindon South candidate says and Tory who is elected as an MP next week and found to have put money on the date of the election using inside information should have the party whip removed.

But the former Justice Secretary shied away from suggesting that candidates being investigated - or that have admitted putting bets on a July election - should be disavowed before the July 4 poll.

Mr Buckland told LBC: “I expect everybody to uphold the highest standards. And whatever the motivation of these people, whether they thought it was just a bit of a laugh or a flutter…

“Really? Is this what we really expect? I think not, and I’m deeply, deeply hurt and rather angry this has emerged in the middle of a campaign which is tough enough.”

Asked if the four party candidates and workers known to be investigated should be suspended Mr Buckland said he thought they should be, but added: “With candidates, they’re already on the ballot paper – so it maybe something for the whips to look at, if they are elected, as to whether they should take the Conservative whip.

“But there is an ongoing investigation, and I don’t know the ins and outs of it, where you have a police officer suspended, then I think consistency should apply here.”

After the initial revelations that Craig Williams the candidate for Montgomeryshire & Glyndwr in mid-Wales and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s parliamentary private secretary put £100 on a July election just three days before it was announced by the PM, four others have been said to be subject to an investigation by the Gambling Commission.

One is one of the Prime Minister’s police protection officers who has been suspended. As well as Mr Williams, there is an election candidate, Laura Saunders. who is standing in Bristol North West and two party officers.

One is Nick Mason the party’s chief data officer, and the fourth is Tony Lee, the Conservatives’ director of campaigning, who took a leave of absence from his position last week. Mr Lee is married to Ms Saunders, the candidate in Bristol.

Asked if Mr Williams should be disavowed by the party as he has admitted placing a bet and apologised and called it a ‘huge error of judgement’, Mr Buckland told the Local Democracy Reporter: “There is now an ongoing investigation so I think that it should be indicated that the candidates involved would not receive the Tory whip if elected and as I expect the investigation is ongoing.”

Other candidates in Swindon South are Labour’s Heidi Alexander, Independent candidate Martin Costello, the Green Party candidate Rod Hebden, The Liberal Democrat Matt McCabe and Reform UK candidate Catherine Kosidowski.