Tories delete ad telling public not to ‘bet’ on Labour amid election gambling row
The Tories have deleted an attack advertisment claiming voters will never win if they “bet on Labour” amid a row over election gambling.
The Conservative Party posted an advert on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday, warning “if you bet on Labour, you can never win”.
It featured a video of a roulette wheel with the red and black pockets labelled “more debt” or “more tax” and the caption: “If you think Labour will win. Start saving.”
It is understood the Tories removed the post after being made aware of a copyright issue.
A spoof warning at the bottom corner of the clip also urged people to “vote responsibly” and “BeLabourAware”.
The BBC, which published a screenshot of the advert, reported that the party deleted the post on Thursday as fresh details emerged about alleged election betting, with Tony Lee, the Tories’ director of campaigning, and his wife Laura Saunders, a Conservative candidate, both facing an inquiry by the Gambling Commission.
It was reported on Wednesday night that the gambling regulator was looking into Ms Saunders, the Tory candidate for Bristol North West, over an alleged election bet.
It then emerged on Thursday morning that Ms Saunders is married to Mr Lee, who was subsequently said to be under investigation. The latter’s LinkedIn page now appears to have been taken down. A summary on Google shows he was listed as the party’s director of campaigning.
The role is separate to the Tories’ campaign director, a post held by Isaac Levido, who is responsible for running the general election campaign. Mr Lee is understood to have a more minor role managing local campaigns.
The revelation about the investigations into Mr Lee and Ms Saunders followed the news that a police officer working in Rishi Sunak’s close protection team had been arrested as part of an inquiry into bets placed on the timing of the election.
Craig Williams, a senior aide to the Prime Minister, also reportedly bet £100 on the date of the election just three days before it was called.
The claim has not been disputed by Mr Williams, who admitted he had a “flutter” on the election a few weeks ago. He has since apologised for a “huge error of judgment”.