British PM Sunak says he's ‘incredibly angry’ over alleged bets on election date

Calling an early election while struggling in the polls was a gamble for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. For some at the top of his ruling Conservative Party, it was also allegedly an opportunity to place a bet of their own.

LONDON — Calling an early election while struggling in the polls was a gamble for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. For some at the top of his ruling Conservative Party, it was also allegedly an opportunity to place a bet of their own.

An investigation into bets placed on the timing of the snap vote has Sunak’s beleaguered party embroiled in a growing scandal less than two weeks before the country heads to the polls. 

At its heart, the probe revolves around allegations that at least three people linked to Sunak’s inner circle used insider knowledge to bet that he would call an election for July 4 — earlier than the November date many expected, and a surprise move that drew criticism from political analysts and some in his party.

Days of mounting coverage culminated Thursday in Sunak saying he was “incredibly angry” about the accusations and that anyone involved should be expelled from his party.

The scandal is just the latest blow to his election hopes, with the Conservatives widely expected to suffer a heavy defeat at the hands of a public angered by years of scandals and struggling public services. Many polls show the opposition Labour Party leading by as many as 20 points, with one major poll released this week in The Telegraph newspaper suggesting the landslide could be so dramatic that Sunak himself was at risk of becoming the first ever sitting prime minister to lose his seat.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/uk-gambling-bets-election-date-pm-sunak-conservatives-rcna158230

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