Another Tory MP implicated in political betting

The number of Tory MPs to have betrayed public trust by allegedly using insider information to place political bets on a new general election in the United Kingdom, shortly before their boss, Rishi Sunak announced a new date for July 4, has been increasing steadily.

Tories get even more embarrassed in ongoing political betting roil

At first, the behavior was considered an aberration, if outrageous. Yet, after two members of the Conservative Party were named in a UK Gambling Commission investigation, onlookers began to ask themselves – just how deep does this whole thing run?

To jog your memory, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saw his bodyguard arrested last week, and two other insiders, Laura Saunders, a long-standing member of the party, and Craig Williams, a close personal aid, were targeted by the regulator.

Now, Nick Mason, the party’s Chief Data Officer, was also named as someone who has placed wagers, although he denies wrongdoing . While others have placed a single flutter, the Sunday Times has reported that Mason could have in fact placed multiple wagers.

Earlier this month, Williams confirmed that he had indeed placed a $125 bet on a new general election called for July. Mason, though, might have been shopping around using his inside knowledge.

All the while Prime Minister Sunak has been livid at his party members and assuming ignorance of the matter. He publicly lambasted his party members and said that he was "very angry" with what had come to pass.

It’s possible that Sunak was none the wiser that some of his closest allies had decided to place a wager on the elections. The motivation behind wagering on the general elections is frankly boggling. At odds of 5/1 or +500, a $100 bet would yield $600, which is hardly a justifiable amount to get into the sort of trouble that is now coming the Conservative Party’s way.

Is there an end to the Conservative Party’s betting antics?

The party’s reputation will probably be damaged for at least the next four years. In the meantime, individual MPs are not very likely to get off the hook over their behavior.

Previously, an MP from the Tories who was taped on camera by a media outlet pretending to be the representative of a gambling company was ultimately recalled by voters who were outraged by the lawmaker’s promise to influence policy to benefit his new acquaintances.

So, even if the MPs skirt bearing more serious responsibility – betting on political races using insider information is a crime – they may still face the ire of ordinary voters who might be keen to punish them in a recall vote.

The Tory betting scandal may not be over yet.

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