Three Conservatives sentenced for betting on election date

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 16:08 · Archive

Three people linked to the Conservative Party have received suspended sentences after admitting to cheating at gambling on the 2024 general election date.

Anthony Lee, the Conservative Party's former director of campaigning, pleaded guilty to two offences relating to placing bets on the election date. His wife Laura Lee, who was a parliamentary candidate at the time, admitted one charge. A third person connected to the party was also sentenced.

At Southwark Crown Court on Friday, the court heard that Anthony Lee used 'inside information' from a private meeting called by then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to bet on when the general election would take place, months before it happened. He stood to win more than £23,000 from the bets. All three were spared jail time and given suspended sentences.

How it is being reported

• Ex-Tory campaign chief and his wife receive suspended sentences over election betsAnthony Lee passed confidential information to his wife Laura Lee about when the 2024 general election would be held.BBC News · 23 Oct, 16:23
• Former Conservatives campaign boss spared jail after betting on 2024 general election dateThe Conservative Party’s former director of campaigning and his wife Laura placed more than £2,000 worth of betsThe Independent · 23 Oct, 15:59
• Ex-Tory campaign chief spared jail after admitted cheating at gambling on general election dateThe Conservative Party’s former director of campaigning has been spared jail despite admitting he cheated at gambling on the date of the 2024 general election. Last month, Anthony Lee pleaded guilty to two offences relating to placing bets on the date of the 2024 general election, with his wife Laura Lee, who was a parliamentary candidate at the time, admitting one charge. At Southwark Crown Court on Friday, jurors were told how the ex-senior Tory figure used “inside information” from a private meeting called by then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to bet on the general election date months…GB News · 23 Oct, 15:58
• Three people linked to Conservatives sentenced after cheating at gambling on general electionThree people linked to the Conservatives, including the party's former director of campaigning, have been given suspended sentences after admitting to cheating at gambling on the 2024 general election date.Sky News · 23 Oct, 10:18

In this story: Anthony Lee · Laura Lee · Rishi Sunak · Conservative Party · Southwark Crown Court

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