Councillor pleads not guilty to betting offence

A Herefordshire councillor has pleaded not guilty to using inside information to bet on the date of the 2024 general election.

Former Conservative Nick Mason was among 15 people accused by the Gambling Commission of using confidential information "to gain an unfair advantage in betting markets".

At a hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, former Conservative MP Craig Williams, who was previously Rishi Sunak's parliamentary private secretary, and former Conservative worker Amy Hind, pleaded guilty.

The remaining 13 defendants pleaded not guilty.

According to the Gambling Commission, Hind is due to be sentenced in October, and Williams at a later date.

Trials for the remaining defendants are scheduled for September 2027 and January 2028.

Mason was previously a Conservative councillor and served as the party's chief data officer.

Following the accusation he voluntarily suspended his membership of Herefordshire Council's ruling Conservative group.

He has since sat as an independent councillor.

After the hearing Mason said he had no further comment to make "beyond maintaining that I am not guilty".

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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