The gambling scandal in Westminster explodes on the day that Labour has to suspend election candidate Kevin Craig “for betting on his own defeat”

The Westminster gambling scandal has emerged on a day when the Labour Party was forced to suspend an election candidate “for betting on his own loss”. Rishi Sunak has finally suspended two Tory candidates accused of betting on his £2,100 winnings.

Kevin Craig, who is running in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, is being investigated by the Gambling Commission over a bet he says he made weeks ago when he did not expect to win.

And it was later revealed that Welsh Cabinet member Russell George was also being investigated by the Gambling Commission “in relation to betting on the timing of the general election”.

He is the fifth Conservative politician to be implicated in the ongoing betting scandal that has overshadowed Rishi Sunak’s election campaign in recent weeks and is stepping down from office while the investigation continues.

This comes after the Tories suspended two of their own candidates this morning. Craig Williams and Laura Saunders are no longer “supported” by the party due to ongoing internal party investigations. Conservative Party.

And in another development, the BBC today revealed that Scottish Secretary Alister Jack claimed he won £2,100 by betting on the election date, shortly after Rishi Sunak announced the election date.

Click here to resize this module

Although the Cabinet minister has since insisted the comments were “a joke”, he added he had “not placed any bets on the date of the parliamentary elections in May”.

Craig’s seat had a Tory majority of 23,000 votes in 2019, but recent polls put him neck and neck with Conservative candidate Patrick Spencer.

In a statement this afternoon, Labour’s biggest donor said: “Although I did not make this bet without prior knowledge of the outcome, this was a huge mistake for which I apologise unreservedly.”

“I have huge respect for how Keir Starmer has transformed the Labour Party and I fought so hard to win this seat and change the country with him.”

“However, it is right that the party maintains the highest standards for its parliamentary candidates – just as the public expects the highest standards from any party hoping to be in government. I deeply regret what I did and will bear the consequences of this foolish error of judgement with composure.”

A spokeswoman for the party said the party acted immediately after being contacted by the Gambling Commission and administratively suspended him pending the completion of the investigation.

She added: “With Keir Starmer as leader, the Labour Party maintains the highest standards for our parliamentary candidates, as the public rightly expects from any party seeking a seat in Parliament. That is why we acted immediately in this case.”

George told the Guardian he would “cooperate fully” with the investigation, adding that he had resigned from the shadow cabinet “as I do not wish to unnecessarily disrupt their work”.

Click here to resize this module

Andrew RT Davies MS, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: “Russell George has informed me that he has received a letter from the Gambling Commission regarding betting on the timing of the general election.”

“Russell George has resigned from the Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet while these investigations are ongoing.

“All other members of the Welsh Conservative group have confirmed that they have not placed any bets.

“I will not comment further on this ongoing process and acknowledge the Gambling Commission’s instruction on confidentiality to protect the integrity of the process.”

Mr Williams admitted this afternoon that he had “has made an error of judgement, no offence” and vowed to clear his name and win the election in his Welsh constituency.

In a growing scandal, the Attorney General’s Office is investigating five more police officers over their betting behaviour around election day before it was even announced, Scotland Yard announced this afternoon.

One of Sunak’s bodyguards was arrested on suspicion of abuse of office, but the recent arrests are not part of the same team.

In a video message, Mr Williams, the candidate in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, said: “I am committed to my campaign to be elected as your MP and your staunch advocate.”

Click here to resize this module

Scotland Yard said the five new officers involved in the scandal were from the Royalty and Specialist Command, Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command and Central West Basic Command Unit. None of them work as personal protection or political bodyguards.

A Conservative spokesman previously announced that support was being withdrawn from the candidates, saying: “Based on ongoing internal investigations, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams and Laura Saunders as candidates for Parliament in the upcoming general election.”

“We have asked the Gambling Commission whether this decision will not affect the investigations it is conducting, which are rightly independent and ongoing.”

The move came after Northern Ireland Secretary Steve Baker broke ranks and criticised the Prime Minister’s response, saying she would crack down on what she called “offensive” behaviour.

Mr Williams, a former parliamentary adviser to Mr Sunak and candidate in Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, has admitted he made a “huge error of judgement” when he placed “a bet” on the election date.

Laura Saunders is the candidate in north-west Bristol and the wife of the party’s campaign manager, Tony Lee.

With nominations closed, Mr Williams and Ms Saunders are both still on the ballot.

The party’s data protection officer, Nick Mason, is also under investigation; he denies any wrongdoing.

Mr Sunak had insisted only yesterday that it was “right” to await the outcome of investigations by the Gambling Commission, the police and the Conservative Party itself.

Keir Starmer hit back: “Why didn’t this happen a week ago?”

The developments came to light after Scotland Yard flatly denied being the source of leaks about betting investigations that threaten to plunge the Conservative election campaign into further turmoil.

Using confidential information to gain an unfair advantage when betting may constitute an offence of cheating under Section 42 of the Gambling Act.

Those convicted face an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.

Mr Sunak had previously said he was “incredibly angry” about the allegations and vowed to “kick out” anyone found to have breached trust.

Speaking on ITV’s Peston programme yesterday, Baker said: “I would call them and ask, ‘Have you done it?’ And if they have done it, they will be suspended.”

“But the Prime Minister would have to answer why he didn’t do it. I have no inside information as to why the Prime Minister didn’t do it.”

Baker joined other Conservatives such as former Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood in calling for the suspension of the four Tories accused of betting on the election date.

The Tories have tried to turn to the issue of immigration in order to weaken Labour’s continued large lead in the polls.

Home Secretary James Cleverly and his Labour colleague Yvette Cooper faced off in a debate on immigration on LBC.