Former deputy prime minister Sir Oliver Dowden was questioned by the Gambling Commission earlier this summer over alleged bets made by some Conservatives on the date of the general election.
The commission is not investigating Sir Oliver, and he himself did not place any bets on the election. The betting revelations rocked the Tory campaign for days.
A leak on the opening day of the Conservative conference, first reported by Sky News, revealed that Sir Oliver was among those the betting regulator had spoken to as part of its investigations.
It is unsurprising that the Gambling Commission would want to speak to the former deputy prime minister, given his seniority in government and the Conservative Party at the time.
Sir Oliver’s conversation with them took place before the general election. However, Rishi Sunak’s former chief of staff, Liam, now Lord Booth-Smith, also spoke to them at the same time. The leak of the interview, which took place around three months ago, appears to be aimed at damaging the Conservative Party as its members gather in Birmingham for their annual conference.
The Tories are reeling from their colossal election defeat and a campaign that many in the party privately see as a mess – not least because of the spate of betting stories.
At least four people are under investigation by the commission over alleged betting. The Metropolitan Police dropped the investigation after saying the alleged offences did not meet the “high bar” for proving misconduct in public office.
The Gambling Commission said it would not comment on the details of the ongoing investigation.
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