UK Politics

A former Conservative lawmaker and 14 others have been charged with cheating when placing bets on the timing of Britain’s general election last year, the Gambling Commission said Monday.Craig Williams was one of several people who had been investigated for cashing in on insider knowledge on the date then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would call the election. Other members of the Conservative Party that controlled government at the time and at least one of the prime minister’s police bodyguards were also under investigation in the scandal.It’s legal for politicians to wager on elections, but the investigation was about whether they used inside information to gain an unfair advantage. One of the popular bets at the time was to wager on the date the prime minister would call an election. At the time, the conventional wisdom was that Sunak would call an election in the fall, but he surprised people in May when he set the date for July 4th. The vote ended up being a bloodbath for Conservatives, as the Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, swept them out of office for the first time in 14 years.Williams, who was Sunak’s parliamentary private secretary and running for reelection in the race on July 4, had disclosed he placed a 100-pound ($131) bet on a July election days before the date had been announced.“I committed an error of judgment, not an offense, and I want to reiterate my apology directly to you,” he said in a video posted on social media.Williams lost his seat in the election, finishing third.Others facing charges included Russell George, a Conservative in the Welsh parliament and Nick Mason, a former chief data officer for Tories. More

The leader of Hungary’s largest opposition party on Sunday told thousands of supporters that he would guide his country out of its international isolation if he defeats Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in elections scheduled for next year. Péter Magyar, the leader of the Respect and Freedom (Tisza) party, represents the most serious challenge to Orbán’s power since the right-wing populist leader took power in 2010. Recent polling suggests that Tisza has overtaken Orbán’s Fidesz party as Hungary struggles with a stagnating economy and has been politically sidelined in the European Union over Orbán’s policies.Speaking at a rally in Budapest on Sunday, Magyar said that, if elected, he and his party would restore Hungary’s relationships and reputation among its allies that have suffered as Orbán has attacked the European Union and pursued close relationships with autocracies like Russia and China. “We will finally put our common affairs in order,” Magyar said. “Our homeland, Hungary, will once again be a proud and reliable ally of NATO. Hungary will once again be a full-fledged member of the European Union.”Orbán, a self-described “illiberal” leader, has been accused by critics of having led Hungary out of the community of European democracies by eroding democratic institutions, violating judicial independence and taking over much of Hungary’s media. Since taking power in 2010, he and his Fidesz party have led the country with a two-thirds majority in parliament, and easily defeated any opposition. But recent polls suggest that Tisza has pulled ahead of Fidesz in popularity as Magyar’s campaign focuses on economic and social issues facing the country like persistent inflation, a poor healthcare system and alleged government corruption. On Sunday, Magyar said Orbán’s system “cannot be reformed, cannot be fixed, cannot be improved. This system can only be replaced, and that is what we will do — lawfully, democratically, but with determination, we will cut down the regime.”Nóra Farkas, a supporter of Magyar at the rally, said she had hoped for Orbán’s defeat in Hungary’s last national elections in 2022, but that with around a year to go before the next ballot, she is more confident that change is possible.“Anyone who thinks things are going well in this country is blind. Orbán and his circle are the main reason for the problems,” she said. ___Béla Szandelszky in Budapest, Hungary contributed. More

The business secretary has refused to guarantee that the British Steel plant in Scunthorpe will get enough raw materials in time to keep its crucial blast furnaces running.Jonathan Reynolds also said he would not sell the business to another Chinese owner as he indicated there is now a “high trust bar” for Chinese companies to meet before they will be allowed to invest in sensitive UK industries.On Saturday the government pushed through emergency legislation to take control of British Steel, with Mr Reynolds warning MPs that once blast furnaces run out of raw materials, they can never be turned back on. British Steel needs to secure raw materials for its blast furnaces to prevent its Scunthorpe facility from shutting down irrevocably More

Tulip Siddiq has denied wrongdoing following reports Bangladeshi authorities have issued a warrant for her arrest in connection with corruption allegations.According to media reports, Bangladeshi’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had sought an arrest warrant on Sunday over allegations the Labour MP illegally received a 7,200 square feet plot of land in the country’s capital, Dhaka.The allegation is said to be separate from an investigation into Ms Siddiq’s aunt, the former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, regarding a nuclear power plant deal in which the former City minister has also been named.Ms Siddiq resigned from her post in the Treasury earlier this year following an investigation by the prime minister’s ethics adviser into her links to her aunt’s regime, which was overthrown last year.In a statement, Ms Siddiq’s lawyers said the Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate had no knowledge of any warrant being issued, and described the claims against her as “politically motivated”.In a statement, Ms Siddiq’s lawyers said the Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate had no knowledge of any warrant being issued , and described the claims against her as “politically motivated”. More

The Conservatives have called on the government to “get a grip” after the terrorist brother of the Manchester Arena bomber attacked three prison officers. Minister have ordered a review of the incident, which took place at a high-security prison, as they pledged to “do whatever it takes” to keep staff safe. Hashem Abedi, who is serving at least 55 years for helping his brother carry out the atrocity at an Ariana Grande concert in 2017, threw hot cooking oil over three prison guards at HMP Frankland on Saturday, according to the Prison Officers’ Association (POA).He then produced home made weapons and stabbed the officers, who suffered injuries including burns, scalds and stab wounds, the union said.Hashem Abedi assisted his brother in carrying out the Manchester Arena bombing (GMP/PA) More