Craig Williams, a former aide to ex-UK prime minister Rishi Sunak, has pleaded guilty to charges of insider trading on the date of the July 4, 2024 General Election.
Williams, Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to then-Conservative leader Sunak, and a member of the Privy Council, and Amy Hind, an NHS Business Support Manager and former Conservative party employee, both accepted they had committed cheating offences under Section 42(1)(a) of the Gambling Act 2005 in relation to bets placed on the timing of the election, won by Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party in a massive landslide.
The guilty pleas were entered on 29 June 2026 following an investigation into betting activity linked to confidential information about when the election would be called.
The date of the General Election, held on 4 July 2024, was announced publicly by then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on 22 May 2024.
Election Wager
Before the announcement, licensed betting operators had offered markets allowing customers to wager on the timing of the election.
Prosecutors said the market was compromised when individuals with access to confidential information placed bets before the public announcement.
At the time, Williams was also Tory MP for Montgomeryshire (from December 2019 until the dissolution of Parliament in May 2024) as well as being Sunak’s PPS.
Sentencing
According to the prosecution, his role gave him access to confidential discussions regarding the election date, which he used to place bets.
Hind also admitted placing bets after receiving confidential information about when the election would be called.
Williams and Hind will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on a date to be determined by the court.
Twelve remaining defendants also charged in connection with the investigation are scheduled to stand trial in September 2027 and January 2028.
