The former Tory MP Craig Williams, who was a parliamentary aide to Rishi Sunak when he was Prime Minister, is among 15 people to be charged with gambling offences over bets placed on the date of the 2024 General Election.

He was part of Mr Sunak’s inner circle, having been appointed to be the former prime minister’s parliamentary private secretary, and he attended a series of planning meetings in Downing Street ahead of the 2024 election.

Williams, of Llanfair Caereinion, Welshpool, Powys, entered his guilty plea at a hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Monday.

He bet £250, £100, and £22.50 on the election date, prosecutors said.

The Gambling Commission said they had focused on individuals suspected of using advance knowledge of the timing to gain an unfair advantage. Others facing charges include Russell George, who’s a member of the Welsh Senedd.