Great Britain Betting scandal: Next member of Tory election campaign team takes time out

The scandal in the British Conservative Party over betting on the date of the general election continues to grow. According to a report in the "Times on Sunday" newspaper, another member of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's election campaign team has come under investigation by the Gambling Commission. The Tories' head of data strategy, Nick Mason, has taken a leave of absence, the party confirmed according to the Times on Sunday report. However, he denied wrongdoing, according to a spokesperson.

It is already the fourth case of this kind. Previously, campaign chief Tony Lee had already taken time off after his wife's bets on the election date allegedly became the subject of an investigation. A Parliamentary State Secretary and a bodyguard close to Sunak are also alleged to have bet on the election date.

According to the "Sunday Times", betting fraud through insider knowledge is a criminal offense in the UK that can be punished with up to two years in prison. For the Conservative Party, which is already lagging behind the Labour opposition in the polls, the cases are potentially very damaging, especially politically.

Accusation: one rule for the Tories, another for the rest

They are reminiscent of the Partygate scandal surrounding illegal lockdown parties at the government headquarters at 10 Downing Street during the coronavirus pandemic. Numerous members of the government and their staff were fined for breaching coronavirus rules - including the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time.

At the time, the Tories had to put up with the accusation that they were acting according to the principle: one rule for us and another for the rest. Cabinet member and party veteran Michael Gove admitted that this impression was now arising again. "This is potentially the most damaging thing that can happen in politics," he told the Sunday Times.

SDA