Former Conservative campaign chief sentenced for election date betting

Anthony Lee, the former director of campaigning for the Conservative Party, has been handed a suspended prison sentence after admitting to using inside information to bet on the date of the 2024 UK general election. At Southwark Crown Court, it was revealed that Lee used information from a private meeting called by then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to place more than £2,000 in bets, which could have yielded over £23,000 in profit.

Lee received a sentence of 10 months and two weeks, suspended for 12 months. His wife, Laura Lee, a former parliamentary candidate, was sentenced to four months and two weeks, also suspended for a year. Additionally, Amy Hind, wife of former deputy digital director Anthony Hind, received a six-month suspended sentence for her involvement in placing bets based on information from party figures.

Judge Tony Baumgartner noted that the actions of the defendants “risked undermining” public confidence in the Conservative Party “as an institution”. The court heard that the information was obtained following a Downing Street meeting on March 10, 2024, where potential election dates were discussed among a small group of senior figures.