Former Conservative MP Craig Williams, who served as Rishi Sunak's parliamentary private secretary, pleaded guilty on Monday to cheating at gambling by placing bets on the date of the 2024 general election using confidential information.
Details of the Offence
Williams admitted at Southwark Crown Court to placing three bets totaling £372.50 on a July election, including a £250 bet, a £100 bet, and a £22.50 bet. The bets were placed in his local constituency with Ladbrokes on 19 May 2024, just three days before Sunak announced the election date. Williams had previously described his actions as a 'huge error of judgment' when the Guardian revealed the bets in June 2024.
Zoe Johnson KC, prosecuting, stated that Williams, as a member of the Privy Council, was 'given a privileged position, he was party to a number of meetings in both Downing Street and Conservative headquarters when the date of the general election was discussed.' She added, 'He has now accepted by his plea that he used highly sensitive and confidential information to place bets and to profit.'
Co-Defendants and Sentencing
Williams will not be sentenced until co-defendants stand trial in 2028. The court also heard that Amy Hind, 35, wife of Conservative deputy digital director Anthony Hind, pleaded guilty to cheating on the election date. She placed bets of £10, £5, and £20 on the election date, then attempted to stake £767 and £700 on a July poll on 13 May 2024. Those attempts failed, but she successfully placed a £100 bet on a July election at odds of 11-1 the following day.
Prosecutors dropped a separate charge against her husband, Anthony Hind, 37, for passing information to his wife. Hind is due to be sentenced on 23 October by Judge Tony Baumgartner.
Gambling Commission Investigation
The Gambling Commission launched an inquiry after Williams placed the bets. Williams was among 15 people facing allegations of cheating by gambling. During Monday's hearing, 12 co-defendants pleaded not guilty, including Russell George, a Welsh Senedd member, and Thomas James, suspended director of the Welsh Conservatives. Other defendants include Jeremy Hunt, 56, a Metropolitan Police close protection officer; Anthony Lee, 49, Conservative party director of campaigning; and Lee's wife, Laura Saunders, 38, head of international at Tory HQ and a parliamentary candidate for Bristol North-West.
Lee faces two charges for placing bets and passing confidential information to his wife. Two trials are scheduled: the first on 6 September 2025 and the second on 3 January 2028. Defendants could face up to two years in prison if convicted. Williams, who served as parliamentary private secretary to Sunak from October 2022 to June 2024, was part of the 2028 trial. All defendants were granted unconditional bail.
The charges stem from Operation Scott, which investigated alleged gambling by politicians and Conservative party employees before the 2024 general election.
