A probe is underway into Mr. Williams, the PM’s parliamentary private secretary (PPS), for having “put a flutter on the general election” a few days prior to the announcement of the July 4 date.
As the prime minister’s “eyes and ears” in the Commons, a PPS is a backbench MP.
Mr. Sunak stated that it “wouldn’t be appropriate for me to comment while that’s ongoing” because the Gambling Commission is currently conducting an inquiry.
The PM refused to budge, stating that it “wouldn’t be right for me to comment… given the nature of the inquiry, it is necessarily independent and confidential” after being questioned twice more.
On the campaign trail today, Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, was asked his opinion.
“I don’t know the details of the case, but if someone knows the outcome of something, it seems to me morally questionable for them to put a bet on it if they know the result of that outcome,” he stated.
The event does not “require police involvement,” according to Dyfed-Powys Police, the force that serves Mr. Williams’s district, because the Gambling Commission has “the powers to investigate and prosecute under the Gambling Act.”He has not yet acknowledged whether or not he had inside information when he placed the wager.
Mr. Sunak was questioned today about whether Mr. Williams was aware of the July date at the time.
