Conservative Party withdraws support for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr candidate amid betting scandal

The Conservative party has withdrawn support for two candidates who are alleged to have placed bets on the date of the general election.

Craig Williams, who is running for MP in the new Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, is one of the candidates under investigation.

The constituency encompasses mid-Wales and large parts of Wrexham, including Rhosytllen, Ruabon and Johnstown.

Craig Williams and Bristol North candidate, Laura Saunders, are both being looked into by the gambling commission after allegedly placing bets on the date of the upcoming general election before the official announcement by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

There had been growing calls for the Conservatives to suspend the two candidates.

Today it was confirmed that the party had withdrawn its support for both Craig Williams and Laura Saunders.

A party spokesperson said: “As a result of ongoing internal enquiries, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as parliamentary candidates at the forthcoming general election.

“We have checked with the Gambling Commission that this decision does not compromise the investigation that they are conducting, which is rightly independent and ongoing.”

Both candidates will still appear on the ballot paper on July 4 as Conservative candidates due to proximity to the election.

On Monday MyWelshpool reported that “Mr Williams is believed to have informed party activists via a What’s App message, and this morning the Conservatives have confirmed they have pulled the plug.”

MyWelshpool add that they have been told by Mr Williams’ office that he is due to release a video statement later.

Candidates standing in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr are:

Jeremy David Brignell-Thorp: Green Party
Oliver Lewis: Reform UK
Glyn Preston: Welsh Liberal Democrats
Craig Williams: Welsh Conservatives
Elwyn Vaughan: Plaid Cymru
Steve Witherden: Welsh Labour

You can read our election coverage here. So far Mr Williams is the only candidate in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr who has yet to respond to our Q&A.