Former Tory campaign chief and wife admit cheating over election bets
The Conservative Party’s former campaign director and his wife have pleaded guilty to cheating at gambling after using confidential information to bet on the timing of Britain’s 2024 General Election.
Anthony Lee, 49, pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday to two offences under the Gambling Act 2005. His wife, Laura Lee, 38, formerly Laura Saunders, admitted one cheating offence.
Lee was the Conservatives’ Director of Campaigning and had access to sensitive discussions at Conservative Campaign Headquarters about when then-prime minister Rishi Sunak intended to call the election.
The UK Gambling Commission said Lee used that information to place bets himself and also passed it to his wife.
Laura Lee, who was the Conservatives’ Head of International and its parliamentary candidate for Bristol North-West, subsequently placed election bets using the information provided by her husband.
Sunak publicly announced on May 22, 2024 that Britain would go to the polls on July 4. The announcement surprised many Westminster politicians, but significant planning for a July election had already been taking place inside Downing Street and Conservative headquarters.
Betting companies had offered markets allowing customers to wager on when the election would be held. Betting on politics is legal in Britain, but using confidential information to gain an unfair advantage can constitute cheating under the Gambling Act.
The Lees are the latest defendants to admit wrongdoing in the Gambling Commission investigation.
Former Conservative MP and Sunak parliamentary aide Craig Williams pleaded guilty in June to using confidential information to place election-date bets. Prosecutors said Williams placed bets of £250, £100 and £22.50 before the election was announced.
Amy Hind, the wife of former Conservative deputy digital director Anthony Hind, also pleaded guilty in June.
Anthony Lee, Laura Lee and Amy Hind will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on October 23. Williams will be sentenced later.
Another 10 defendants continue to face charges, with trials scheduled for September 2027 and January 2028.
The guilty pleas mean four of the 15 people charged in the Gambling Commission’s investigation have now admitted cheating, while the allegations against the remaining defendants have yet to be proven.
