Welsh politician who bet on July election dropped by the Tories

The Conservative Party has withdrawn all support for the man who had been the party's best chance of winning an MP in Wales at the next election. Craig Williams, the candidate for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, has admitted making a bet on the date of the General Election just three days before it was announced by the PM.

Mr Williams has been a close aide of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as his Parliamentary Private Secretary. Just days before the PM stood in the rain to announce that there would be a snap election in July, Mr Williams placed a bet of £100 on a July election being called which could have returned a payout of £500

It has been reported that Ladbrokes system automatically raised the alarm citing Mr Williams as a potentially “politically exposed person”. The bet is believed to have been made via an online account that would have required the user to provide personal details including their date of birth and debit card. Using confidential information to gain an unfair advantage when betting could be a criminal offence.

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The Conservative Party has also withdrawn its support for Laura Saunders, the Conservative candidate for Bristol North West. Ms Saunders and her partner Tony Lee, the Conservative director of campaigning, are also under investigation by the Gambling Commission - as is Nick Mason, the party's chief data officer.

A Conservative spokesperson said in a statement: "As a result of ongoing internal enquiries, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as Parliamentary Candidates at the forthcoming General Election.

"We have checked with the Gambling Commission that this decision does not compromise the investigation that they are conducting, which is rightly independent and ongoing."

Mr Williams will still be running on a Conservative ticket (postal ballots have already gone out) but the party will not be offering any support to him in terms of election materials or Facebook adverts.

A source told WalesOnline that even if Mr Williams was to win his seat there would almost certainly be a recall petition meaning the Conservatives would have to fight a byelection straight after the General Election.

The Prime Minister has been under heavy pressure to withdraw support from Mr Williams. Mr Williams previously said when the story first broke: "I've been contacted by a journalist about Gambling Commission inquiries into one of my accounts and thought it best to be totally transparent.

"I put a flutter on the general election some weeks ago. This has resulted in some routine inquiries and I confirm I will fully cooperate with these. I don't want it to be a distraction from the campaign. I should have thought through how it looks."

Welsh Labour's candidate for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, Steve Witherden, said: "The Tory betting scandal has left a stain on the Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party. Rather than taking action, the Prime Minister has dithered for almost two weeks.

"People across Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr deserve a Member of Parliament that puts them first. A Labour government will never gamble with our future.

"I'm part of a changed Labour Party that's once more in the service of our country. But that change can only happen by voting Labour on 4 July."

Responding to the Conservatives' decision to withdraw support from Craig Williams this election, a Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: "This took them long enough. Craig Williams should have been suspended from the start.

"This is another nail in the coffin for the Tories. They're finished. The people of Wales deserve better than London parties mired in scandals - be it the Tories' betting scandal or Labour's dodgy donations. Plaid Cymru is the only party offering real alternative for Wales this election."

The full list of candidates for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr are:

• Green Party: Jeremy Brignell-Thorp

• Reform UK: Oliver Lewis

• Liberal Democrats: Glyn Preston

• Plaid Cymru: Elwyn Vaughan

• Conservative: Craig Williams

• Labour: Steve Witherden