The Conservative Party’s former Director of Campaigning and his wife, a parliamentary candidate in the 2024 UK general election, have admitted to cheating at gambling.
Anthony Lee, 49, pleaded guilty to two offences under the Gambling Act 2005 during a hearing at Southwark Crown Court. Laura Lee, 38, who was previously known as Laura Saunders, admitted one charge.
Anthony Lee led the Conservatives’ national campaigning operation during the election and was responsible for deploying party resources. Then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the election for 4 July 2024.
Laura Lee worked as the party’s Head of International and had been selected as its candidate for Bristol North West.
The charges followed a Gambling Commission investigation into allegations that confidential information concerning the election date was used to place wagers before the timing became public.
The couple are due to be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court next month. The report did not specify the value, timing or number of bets connected with their guilty pleas, or the potential penalties they face.
Their admissions follow guilty pleas from former Conservative MP Craig Williams and Amy Hind, whose husband served as the party’s Deputy Digital Director.
Williams was parliamentary Private Secretary to Sunak and attended meetings where the election date was discussed. Hind admitted placing bets with the benefit of confidential information concerning when the election would be called.
Hind is also expected to be sentenced next month.
Williams’ sentencing will take place after trials involving other Conservative officials and individuals accused of similar offences, which are scheduled for September 2027 and January 2028.
Political wagering controls are also attracting attention in the US, where Kalshi issued a three-year ban to congressional candidate Laurie Buckhout for trading contracts linked to her own election.
Arizona’s Secretary of State has separately prohibited departmental personnel from participating in election-related wagering and prediction markets.
Trials involving 12 other defendants are scheduled to take place in September 2027 and January 2028
