Former Conservative campaign manager Anthony Lee admits cheating in betting on the date of the UK elections

Anthony Lee, former Campaign Manager of the British Conservative Party, has pleaded guilty to two offences of cheating, under sections 42(1)(a) and 42(1)(b) of the Gambling Act 2005. The appearance took place on 10 September 2026.

In the same case, his wife, Laura Lee , formerly Laura Saunders, pleaded guilty to a cheating offence under section 42(1)(a) of the same Act.

The case dates back to the general election of July 4, 2024, the date of which was publicly announced by then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on May 22, 2024. Prior to that announcement, there was relevant planning for an election on July 4, both at 10 Downing Street and among the staff of the Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ).

In the weeks leading up to the announcement, different gambling operators offered special markets on when the election would be held. According to the Gambling Commission, this was a market that should not be taken advantage of by those who had inside information about the date.

In his position, Anthony Lee participated in highly sensitive conversations about the electoral calendar, held at the Conservative headquarters and with the intervention of senior party officials. Instead of keeping that information confidential, he used it to place bets and passed it on to his wife.

Laura Lee, who was Head of International of the Conservative Party and the party's candidate for the Bristol North-West constituency in the 2024 elections, bet on the elections benefiting from the confidential information provided by her husband about the timing of the call.

Anthony Lee, Laura Lee and Amy Hind will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on 23 October 2026. Craig Williams pleaded guilty on 29 June and will hear his sentence at a later date. The trials of all ten defendants will be held in September 2027 and January 2028.