Fifth Tory faces investigation as election betting scandal grows

Gambling Commission inquiries cast shadow over party’s campaign

- Pippa Crerar , Vikram Dodd , Kiran Stacey

A Conservative politician has become the fifth party figure to be investigated by the gambling watchdog for allegedly placing a suspicious bet on the general election date, as the developing scandal continued to overshadow Rishi Sunak's campaign.

The Gambling Commission has informed Russell George, a Conservative member of the Welsh parliament, who represents the same constituency as Sunak's closest parliamentary aide, Craig Williams, that he is part of its inquiry.

The disclosure came after the Tories finally dropped the two Westminster candidates, including Williams, who are under investigation for allegedly placing bets on a July election, after previously standing by them.

That U-turn came as the Metropolitan police confirmed that five more officers have been identified by the watchdog - a week after it announced that a protection officer guarding the prime minister had been arrested for allegedly placing a bet.

In a separate development, Labour was also drawn into the gambling row for the first time as the party announced it was suspending Central Suffolk and North Ipswich candidate Kevin Craig after the Gambling Commission launched an investigation.

Craig, a lobbyist and expert in political crisis management, confirmed that he was under investigation for betting that he would not win his own constituency.

Labour said it would now return £100,000 he had donated to the party under Keir Starmer's leadership, while the shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, would give back £13,000 donated for staffing costs.

Marsha de Cordova, another Labour candidate, did not respond to a request as to whether she would give back £2,436 that Craig donated this year.