'UK Ruling Conservative Party, Likely to Suffer General Election Defeat, Faces Gambling Controversy Again'

The ruling Conservative Party, expected to suffer a crushing defeat in the upcoming UK general election this July, has been embroiled in a gambling scandal. As Conservative figures betting on the date of the early election have been repeatedly confirmed, criticism from the opposition is growing louder. Local reports also suggest that more names will be added to this gambling scandal.

According to local media including The Guardian on the 20th (local time), the Gambling Commission is investigating Conservative candidate Laura Saunders (Bristol Northwest constituency) and Conservative campaign manager Tony Lee on charges of betting on the election date. Tony Lee, currently on leave, is also Saunders' husband. It is not known when they placed the bets or the amounts involved.

This is the second time a Conservative candidate has been officially confirmed to be involved in gambling allegations related to the election date. Previously, Craig Williams, a former aide to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and candidate for the Montgomeryshire Glinder constituency, was also investigated for related charges. He admitted to placing a bet three days before Sunak announced the election date, calling it a "major lapse in judgment." Additionally, although not a Conservative, a police officer responsible for Sunak's security was also confirmed to have bet on the election date.

Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

The Conservative Party, which is significantly trailing the opposition Labour Party in various opinion polls, is clearly in a difficult position. Labour leader Keir Starmer criticized, "Those involved in the gambling controversy should be disqualified as candidates. But Rishi Sunak has not done so yet," adding, "If one of the Labour candidates were involved, they would have already been expelled." Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, also called the situation "truly appalling" and urged a Cabinet Office investigation.

Currently, as gambling controversies continue to surface, the Conservative Party has deleted an election campaign video showing a roulette table spinning with the phrase "You can never win if you bet on Labour." On the same day, Sunak told BBC that he was "incredibly angry" upon learning of the matter and said he would expel anyone confirmed to have gambling allegations from the Conservative Party. Sunak's announcement of the early election had previously been considered a surprise even within the Conservative Party.

The Guardian reported that "Sunak has fallen into a series of quagmires," and that the Conservative Party is facing demands from the opposition to investigate the extent of this gambling scandal. Sky News reported that more names are expected to emerge in this gambling scandal. According to Betfair Exchange, betting on the possibility of a July election surged locally from the morning of May 22, when the early election announcement was made.

Meanwhile, the ruling Conservative Party led by Sunak is widely expected to suffer a heavy defeat in the UK general election scheduled for June 4. According to surveys released the previous day by polling agencies Savanta and The Telegraph, the Conservatives are projected to secure only 53 out of the total 650 seats in the House of Commons. In contrast, the Labour Party is expected to significantly increase its seats to 516. Sunak is anticipated to become the first sitting prime minister to lose his seat to Labour.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.