Craig Williams: What 'no longer supported' means and will he be a Tory candidate?
The man who has been the Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire since 2019 is no longer being supported by the party.
The news that former Conservative candidate for the the Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr is no longer being supported by the Conservative party, is set to mean there will not be a candidate for the Tories in the constituency come July 4.
Earlier this month Craig Williams admitted placing a “flutter” on the date of the forthcoming general election and said he was “fully co-operating” with an inquiry by the Gambling Commission.
The withdrawal of support for Mr Williams in the newly-formed Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr constituency, who is said to be a close aide to Rishi Sunak, follows nearly two weeks of pressure on the PM to act over the betting scandal, which has seen a police officer and several other Conservative members implicated.
On Tuesday morning, Laura Saunders, who is standing in Bristol North West, also lost Tory support.
What does 'losing support' mean?
The Tories withdrawing their support means they no longer endorse him as a candidate.
Effectively, it's the same as an MP (remember there aren't any at present after Parliament was dissolved) losing the party whip and having to sit as an independent.
Recent examples include former Conservative health secretary Matt Hancock, who lost his place in the parliamentary Tory party after appearing on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!, and ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who said allegations of antisemitism under his leadership had been “dramatically overstated”.
Neither could sit with their former parties in the House of Commons.
Will Craig Williams' name still be on the ballot paper?
Yes. He is still standing for parliament.
Is there a Conservative candidate in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr?
No.
Officially there is no Conservative candidate in this constituency as a result of this decision, and the deadline for candidates closed on June 7, so it's not possible for the Tories to field a replacement.
However, as election day is just over a week away, Mr Williams' name may still have Conservative printed next to it on ballot papers. But if it does, it's out of date and he's officially standing as an independent.
What happens if he's elected?
Should Mr Williams win, he would have the whip withdrawn, meaning he would be an independent MP and sit on the cross-party benches and not with Conservative members.
He would also be under no obligation to vote with fellow Conservatives as he would not have access to the Conservative whip.
Should Mr Williams be elected, and if the Gambling Commission investigation finds in his favour, then he could have the whip reinstated and he be a Conservative MP again.
Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr candidates:
Jeremy Brignell-Thorp - Green Party
Oliver Lewis - Reform UK
Glyn Preston - Liberal Democrat
Elwyn Vaughan - Plaid Cymru
Craig Williams - Independent
Steve Witherden - Labour
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