Former MP in court accused of cheating at gambling

An ex-MP and aide of former prime minister Rishi Sunak has appeared in court accused of cheating by gambling on the date of the 2024 general election.

Craig Williams, 40, who was Tory MP for Montgomeryshire and Cardiff North, is charged with cheating at gambling and three counts of enabling or assisting others to cheat.

Williams, of Llanfair Caereinion, Welshpool, Powys, was parliamentary private secretary to Mr Sunak during his time as prime minister.

He and his 14 co-defendants face a wait of more than two years for trial.

At Southwark Crown Court on Friday, Williams appeared wearing a smart black suit and tie.

He did not indicate a plea.

The court will hear an application to dismiss the charges on January 19 next year.

Because of the large number of defendants, two trials will take place, with the first fixed for September 6 2027, and the second for January 3 2028.

Williams will be in the 2028 trial.

Other defendants included former Tory member of Senedd Russell George, 50, and Thomas James, 38, the suspended director of the Welsh Conservatives, both of whom have previously indicated not guilty pleas.

The charges come 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.

Mr Sunak, who has provided a witness statement in this case, had noted that elections would take place in the second half of the year but had not given a date.

Prosecuting on behalf of the Gambling Commission, Sam Stein KC told a previous hearing: “Operation Scott was an investigation launched by the Gambling Commission into politicians and employees of the Conservative Party, and a former police officer … who had placed bets on the date of the 2024 general election with the benefit of confidential or insider information as to when that date might be.

“The prosecution says that placing bets with inside information is a criminal offence, namely cheating.”

Williams was first the MP for Cardiff North between 2015 and 2017 before he lost his seat to Labour MP Anna McMorrin.

He was then elected MP for Montgomeryshire at the 2019 general election, and lost his seat in July last year.

Before the July 4 election was called, planning took place at Downing Street and Conservative campaign headquarters, the court heard.

The 15 defendants are alleged to have placed bets based on confidential information gained from those rooms, or enabled others to place bets by passing that information on.

If convicted they could face up to two years in prison for these offences.

Twelve of the defendants indicated not guilty pleas at a previous hearing.

Simon Chatfield, 51, from Farnham, Surrey; Russell George, 50; Amy Hind, 34, of Loughton, Essex; Anthony Hind, 36, of Loughton, Essex; Thomas James, 38; Charlotte Lang, 36; Anthony Lee, 47; Laura Saunders, 37; Iain Makepeace, 47, from Newcastle Upon Tyne; Nick Mason, 51; Paul Place, 53, from Hammersmith, west London; and James Ward, 40, of Leeds, all indicated they would deny the charges.

Former MP Williams, with Jacob Willmer, 39, from Richmond, west London, and former police officer Jeremy Hunt, 55, of Horne in Surrey, are yet to indicate a plea.