Metro Police winds down investigation in UK betting election scandal

The Metropolitan Police in the United Kingdom has concluded its investigation into the general election betting scandal which rocked the election cycle and implicated the Conservative Party in one of the most shameful chapters of the Tories’ recent history.

The Mets give up on political betting scandal in the UK

The party had been dealt a drubbing at the general election, giving up power to the Labor government of Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister. The Metropolitan Police said that the scandal did not meet "the high bar" to be considered "misconduct in public office," according to a statement shared on the police’s website.

However, this does not mean that the Gambling Commission would not seek to impose its penalties on people implicated in the scandal – numerous Tory MPs as a matter of fact. The scandal broke out this summer when several Tories were said to have wagered on the potential date of new elections.

A general election was due to be called this year, but nobody knew what the date would be. Rishi Sunak, the ex-Prime Minister, had decided to act preemptively and caught many of his fellow party members unawares, calling for a general election to be held on July 4, 2024.

However, the more shameful turn of the story began when regulators found out that people close to the former Prime Minister had already bet on the date of the elections, putting down their wagers in July. Advisors, party members, and even Sunak’s bodyguard were involved, leading to the arrests of police officers.

The scandal itself did not help to restore public trust in the Tories who had meandered from one embarrassment to another and had lost face. However, the Mets have said that they would no longer continue to investigate the scandal, arguing that it did not meet the necessary criteria to merit further investigation.

Do not expect the Gambling Commission to give up soon

Strikingly, the Tories had even bet against themselves to lose in certain instances, which was more infuriating. Yet, the Gambling Commission may yet hold those who have wagered accountable. Presently, Andrew Rhodes, the commission’s executive, has said that the regulator continues to conduct interviews and to gather evidence about the case.

"There are still Gambling Act offences to consider and it is appropriate that they are taken forward by investigators from the Gambling Commission who have particular expertise in this field," Rhodes explained. The Mets may have left many MPs and officers off the hook more or less, but the Gambling Commission has a dogged trend to chase such matters until it has come up with a verdict.

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