Ex-MP Craig Williams pleads guilty over general election betting offence

Former Conservative MP Craig Williams has pleaded guilty to cheating at gambling by placing bets on the date of the 2024 general election.

The 41-year-old was the MP for Montgomeryshire and an aide to then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak before the election was called.

The prosecution said Williams bet £250, £100, and £22.50 on the election date, telling the court he "used highly sensitive and confidential information".

Sunak's decision to call the poll was a surprise to many, including many Conservative MPs, who were expecting an autumn date.

When details of the scandal first emerged in June 2024, Williams admitted making a "huge error of judgment" by betting on the date of the election just days before Sunak called it.

He served as Sunak's parliamentary private secretary, which ensured he was part of the then-PM's inner circle.

Williams, of Llanfair Caereinion, Welshpool, Powys, entered his guilty plea at a hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Monday.

Prosecutor Zoe Johnson KC said three further cheating charges, which Williams denies, will be dropped when he is sentenced.

She said Williams, 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".

Johnson also said: "He has now accepted by his plea that he used highly sensitive and confidential information to place bets and to profit."

Williams was among 15 people who were charged with betting offences by the Gambling Commission.

The charges came after "Operation Scott" was launched to investigate gambling by politicians and employees of the Conservative Party in the lead-up to the 2024 general election.

Amy Hind, 35, has also pleaded guilty to cheating on the date of the election.

She had placed bets of £10, £5, and £20 on the date of the election before attempting on 13 May 2024 to stake £767 and £700 on a July poll.

The court heard those attempts failed before she ultimately successfully placed a £100 bet on a July election, at odds of 11-1.

A separate charge against her husband Anthony Hind, 37, that he had cheated at gambling by passing information to his wife was then dropped by prosecutors.

Amy Hind is due to be sentenced on 23 October.

Williams will not be sentenced until co-defendants have stood trial.

Also at the hearing on Monday, 12 co-defendants pleaded not guilty to cheating at gambling in relation to bets on the 2024 election.

Trials have been set for September 2027 and January 2028.