New Delhi, July 1 -- A former Conservative lawmaker who used insider knowledge to place wagers on the date that then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would call a U.K.-wide election two years ago pleaded guilty Monday to cheating at gambling.

Craig Williams, who was Sunak's parliamentary private secretary, was one of more than a dozen people charged in the betting scandal over the timing of Britain's last general election.

Election gambling is legal in the U.K. and betting on the date the prime minister will set is a popular wager. It's legal for lawmakers to bet, but not if they rely on inside knowledge.

Sunak surprised many in May 2024 when he set the election date for July 4 when the conventional wisdom was that he would wait until the fa...