Former UK minister pleads guilty over election betting case

A former British government minister has admitted using confidential information to gain an advantage in betting markets after pleading guilty to a gambling offence linked to the timing of the 2024 United Kingdom general election.

Craig Williams, who was serving as parliamentary private secretary to then-prime minister Rishi Sunak, acknowledged placing three bets after attending meetings where the election date was discussed before it was publicly announced.

Prosecutors alleged Williams exploited privileged information unavailable to the public, with three additional charges relating to the alleged sharing of that information to be left on file following his guilty plea.

The prosecution is part of a broader Gambling Commission investigation involving 15 defendants, with former Conservative Party staff member Amy Hind also pleading guilty while 12 others have denied the charges and are scheduled to stand trial over the next two years.

Williams, who lost his parliamentary seat at the 2024 election and previously described the wagers as a “huge error of judgement”, will be sentenced after the remaining proceedings in the wider case have been completed.