Rishi Sunak’s key aide has pleaded guilty to cheating at gambling, admitting he used confidential information from Downing Street planning meetings to place bets on the date of the 2024 general election. Craig Williams, 41, the former Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire and Cardiff North, entered his plea at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, bringing to a head a scandal that overshadowed the Conservative campaign and contributed to his own electoral defeat.
The inside bet: how Williams used his privileged access
Williams served as parliamentary private secretary to the then prime minister from October 2022 to June 2024, placing him at the heart of Sunak’s inner circle. In that role he was present at sensitive planning meetings held in Downing Street and at Conservative headquarters where the election timetable was discussed. Prosecutor Zoe Johnson KC told the court that 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”. She added: “He has now accepted by his plea that he used highly sensitive and confidential information to place bets and to profit.”
The bets themselves were modest in size. Prosecutors said Williams placed three wagers: £250, £100 and £22.50 on the date of the election. When the scandal first broke, Williams admitted making a “huge error of judgment” in relation to a £100 bet. Three further cheating charges, which he denied, will be dropped when he is sentenced. The guilty plea comes more than two years after Sunak made the surprise announcement on 22 May 2024 that a general election would be held on 4 July — earlier than conventional wisdom had suggested.
Williams’s political career has been defined by the scandal. He first entered Parliament as MP for Cardiff North in 2015, losing the seat to Labour’s Anna McMorrin in 2017. He returned as MP for Montgomeryshire at the 2019 general election but lost that seat in the 2024 election, which saw a Conservative electoral wipeout across the UK. He had been sworn into the King’s Privy Council in November 2023.
Co-defendants and the wider investigation
In a related case, Amy Hind, 35, the wife of Conservative deputy digital director Anthony Hind, also pleaded guilty to cheating at gambling on the election date. The court heard she placed bets of £10, £5 and £20, before attempting to stake £767 and £700 on a July poll on 13 May 2024. Those attempts failed, and she tried a £700 bet the following day before successfully placing a £100 bet at odds of 11-1 on a July election. A separate charge against her husband, 37, that he had cheated at gambling by passing information to his wife, was dropped by prosecutors.
Sentencing for Hind is scheduled for 23 October before Judge Tony Baumgartner, the Recorder of Westminster. Williams will not be sentenced until his co-defendants have stood trial. Thirteen other individuals pleaded not guilty to cheating at gambling during the same hearing on Monday. Trials have been set for September 2027 and January 2028, and all defendants have been granted unconditional bail.
The criminal charges were brought by the Gambling Commission following Operation Scott, an investigation into gambling by politicians and employees of the Conservative Party in the lead-up to the 2024 general election. Among those denying the charges are Russell George, 52, a former member of the Senedd for Montgomeryshire, and Thomas James, 39, former director of the Welsh Conservatives. Also charged is Jeremy Hunt, 56, a close protection officer with the Metropolitan Police who was part of the police team working in Downing Street.
Further co-defendants include Anthony Lee, 49, a Conservative Party director of campaigning, and his wife Laura Saunders, 38, who was head of international at Tory HQ and the party’s parliamentary candidate for Bristol North-West. Lee faces two charges, alleging he placed bets himself and passed confidential information to his wife to help her cheat at gambling. Other Tory officials charged are Nick Mason, 52, the chief data officer; Iain Makepeace, 48, head of design and print; his boss Simon Chatfield, 52, chief marketing officer; and deputy director of insights James Ward, 41. Paul Place, 55, a consultant employed by the Conservative Party; Charlotte Lang, 37, a political strategist and former parliamentary candidate; and Jacob Willmer, 40, brother of Conservative Party deputy chief of staff Toby Willmer, complete the list of those who have pleaded not guilty.
Under the Gambling Act 2005, cheating at gambling is a criminal offence punishable by up to two years in prison. Betting on an election date is legal in the UK, but using inside knowledge is not. Williams’s bet was flagged by Ladbrokes because he was a politically exposed person, triggering enhanced due diligence. The Metropolitan Police also conducted a separate investigation into potential misconduct in public office, working alongside the Gambling Commission. Amy Hind was a business support manager for the NHS at the time of the investigation, having previously held various roles within the Conservative Party.
