Three Welsh Tories charged with betting offences

A Conservative Member of the Senedd (MS), the party's Welsh director and an ex-MP are among 15 people charged with betting offences by the Gambling Commission.

Officials have been investigating alleged cheating related to bets on the timing of last year's general election.

Craig Williams, 39, from Welshpool and the former Tory MP for Montgomeryshire, and Russell George, 50, from Newtown and who represents the same constituency in the Senedd, will appear in court in June.

Thomas James, 38, from Brecon and director of the Welsh Conservatives, was also charged.

The commission said the investigation focused on individuals suspected of using confidential information to gain an unfair advantage in betting markets - a criminal offence.

Conservatives in Westminster confirmed that Mr James, who is a paid member of staff, had been suspended "with immediate effect".

The leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, Darren Millar, said he had suspended Mr George from the party's group in the Welsh Parliament.

The politician had been reselected as the party's lead 2026 Senedd election candidate for Gwynedd Maldwyn last Saturday. He has been an MS since 2011.

Labour said the charges were a "very serious development," while Reform criticised Mr George's reselection.

The news prompted a senior voluntary official in Mid and West Wales to resign.

Regional president Charlie Evans alleged a "moral rot" in the party and said the betting scandal had made last year's general election campaign "nightmarish" for Welsh Tories.

Mr Williams was an aide to the prime minister Rishi Sunak in the last Parliament.

The Tory party pulled their support for him as an election candidate and suspended Mr Williams after the investigation was announced during last summer's election campaign.

Others charged include Laura Saunders, the former Conservative parliamentary candidate in Bristol North West, and her partner Anthony Lee, a former director of campaigning for the Conservatives; and Nick Mason, a former chief data officer for the party.

Also on the list are:

• Simon Chatfield, 51,of Lower Bourne, Farnham, Surrey
• Amy Hind, 34 of Loughton, Essex
• Anthony Hind, 36, of Loughton, Essex
• Former police officer Jeremy Hunt, 55, of Horne, Horley, Surrey
• Charlotte Lang, 36, of Brixton, London
• Iain Makepeace, 47, of Newcastle Upon Tyne
• Paul Place, 53, Hammersmith, London
• James Ward, 40, London
• Jacob Wilmer, 39, Richmond

All have been charged with offences under the Gambling Act.

President of the Mid and West Wales Conservatives, Charlie Evans, announced his resignation following the announcement from the gambling commission.

On X he said the news brought back "painful memories - and the issues concentrated on personnel in Mid and West".

"My friends, (and they are friends), colleagues and I were badly let down and it now hangs over us still.

"Important natural justice runs its course - suspensions are welcome. But I really hope others get a grip on what feels like a moral rot in the Welsh party."

A spokesperson for Reform in Wales said: "The Gambling Commission's charges are deeply concerning and raise serious questions about integrity in public office."

He added the reselection of Mr George was a "kind of double standard" and "exactly why trust in politics is at an all-time low".

Labour's Ellie Reeves said: "This is a very serious development. The British people will expect that anyone found guilty of wrongdoing faces the full force of the law."

She said the party leader Kemi Badenoch "must make crystal clear that anyone found guilty of using insider information to cheat the system to try to enrich themselves has no place in the Conservative Party".

A Conservative Party spokesman said: "The Conservative Party believes that those working in politics must act with integrity. Current members of staff who have been charged are being suspended with immediate effect.

"These incidents took place in May last year.

"Our party is now under new leadership and we are cooperating fully with the Gambling Commission to ensure that their investigation can conclude swiftly and transparently."

Darren Millar said: "Having been informed that Russell George MS has been charged with gambling related offences, I have taken the decision to suspend him from the Welsh Conservative group in the Senedd.

"The suspension is a neutral act pending the outcome of the justice process. There will be no further comment at this time."