‘I have never cheated’ says MS as he fights to clear his name

Montgomeryshire Senedd Member, Russell George, has vowed to clear his name after being charged by the Gambling Commission of taking advantage of insider knowledge and placing a bet on the date of last year’s General Election.

Mr George was suspended by his Conservative Party earlier this month after being one of 15 people charged following the result of an investigation. Fellow former Tory, Craig Williams, is also on the charge sheet.

But, this afternoon, Mr George has vowed to clear his name but has conceded that in order to do so he will not be able to run at the next Senedd election in 2026. He said he will continue to serve as Montgomeryshire MS in the meantime as an independent.

Mr George’s statement in full:

“I was shocked and surprised to have been informed by the Gambling Commission that I am facing charges for cheating.

“To be clear, I have never cheated. However, given the Gambling Commission’s decision, and my understanding of what will follow, this is likely to be a lengthy process that may not be resolved by May 2026.

“In the circumstances, I feel I have no alternative but to withdraw my candidacy for next year’s Senedd elections so that I can focus on fighting to clear my name. I will of course continue to serve the people of Montgomeryshire to the very best of my ability.

“I am grateful for the many messages of support that I have received in recent days, particularly from constituents.”

Mr George retained his seat with a massive majority in 2021, claiming 12,013 votes with Plaid Cymru’s Elwyn Vaughan in second on 4,485. The Liberal Democrats were a close third on 4,207 votes with Labour polling 3,576 votes in fourth. Reform grabbed 549 votes.