- Author, David Deans
- Paper, Political reporter, BBC Wales News
-
A Conservative politician in the Welsh Parliament is being investigated over a bet on the timing of the general election.
Russell George is the fifth Conservative to face Gambling Commission inquiries.
It comes on the same day that the Conservatives withdrew their support for two general election candidates, including George’s colleague Craig Williams, who is running in the newly named Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr constituency.
George, whose seat is Montgomeryshire, said he will co-operate fully with the committee and has “backed off” from the Senedd Conservative bench.
Labor and Plaid Cymru called for George to be suspended from the conservative Senedd group.
Williams, who was a parliamentary adviser to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, was the first Conservative to admit he gambled at the time of the election.
It is not known how much Mr. George bet or what the odds were.
On Tuesday, George had urged voters to support his colleague Williams despite the Conservatives’ decision to withdraw support for the party.
He said at the time: “It may seem old-fashioned, but I believe in innocence until proven guilty.”
George’s constituency was also represented by Williams at Westminster before the dissolution of the UK parliament.
He was the party’s mid-Wales spokesman on the Conservative bench.
In a statement released after The Guardian broke the story, Mr George said: “While I fully co-operate with the Gambling Commission, it would not be appropriate to comment on this independent and confidential process.
“To do so would only endanger and harm the investigation. It is the Gaming Commission, not the media, that has the responsibility, powers and resources to properly investigate these matters and determine what action, if any, should be taken.
“I stepped away from the shadow office while the investigation was ongoing. I did so because I do not wish to be an unnecessary distraction to their work.”
Andrew RT Davies, Welsh Conservative leader in the Senedd, said George informed him that he had “received a letter from the Gambling Commission regarding betting at the time of the general election”.
Davies added: “All other members of the Welsh Conservative Party [Senedd] group confirmed that it did not place any bets.”
Welsh Labor campaign chair Jessica Morden said: “It took Rishi Sunak almost two weeks to act on one of his Conservative candidates.
“How long will it take Andrew RT Davies to suspend Russell George?”.
Plaid’s Mabon ap Gwynfor said: “You couldn’t make this up. Hours after supporting candidate Craig Williams following another betting scandal, it emerged that Russell George did exactly the same thing.
“He should withdraw the whip from the Welsh Conservative Senedd group immediately.”
On Tuesday, the Conservatives confirmed they had withdrawn support for Williams and Laura Saunders, the Bristol North West candidate.
Both will appear on the ballot papers, but could become independent if elected, pending the outcome of an investigation.
Two Tory staff members also took leave from their roles after it emerged they were being investigated by the Gambling Commission.
In a video statement posted on X, Williams said he remains committed to the election.
He said he “made an error of judgement, not an offence”, adding: “I want to reiterate my apologies directly to you.”
“I am cooperating fully with the Gambling Commission’s routine investigations and intend to clear my name,” he said.
Last week, a spokesman for Ms Saunders said she would cooperate with the Gambling Commission and had nothing further to add.
