Betting scandal in Britain escalates, Labour suspends candidates

Britain’s election betting scandal spread to the Labour Party on Tuesday when a Tory cabinet minister admitted to placing bets on election day.

Labour suspended Kevin Craig, its candidate for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, after he bet that he would lose his MP bid and became the subject of a Gambling Commission investigation into election betting.

Meanwhile, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack admitted to placing three bets on election day between March and April – one of which was successful – but said he was not being investigated by the Gambling Authority.

Russell George, a Conservative member of the Welsh Assembly, is the fifth Tory to be investigated by the commission on suspicion of betting on the timing of the general election.

According to a Labor official briefed on the matter, Craig was betting that he would lose the July 4 election.

According to current polls, the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency is neck and neck between Labour and the Conservatives.

A Labour Party spokesman confirmed that the Gambling Commission had launched an investigation into Craig.

Labour said it had taken action to suspend Craig following “receipt of notice” from the Gambling Commission, adding: “The Labour Party maintains the highest standards of our parliamentary candidates, as the public rightly expects of any party seeking a seat in Parliament. That is why we have acted immediately in this case.”

According to officials, the party will also repay a £100,000 donation it received from Craig last year.

The suspension drags Labour into a scandal that had previously engulfed both Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party and the police.

Craig said: “A few weeks ago, when I thought I would never win this seat, I placed a bet on a Tories victory with the intention of donating all the winnings to local charities.

“Although I did not place this bet without prior knowledge of the outcome, this was a major mistake for which I apologise unreservedly.” He added that he would comply with the Gambling Commission’s investigation.

Craig is the founder and managing director of PLMR, a Westminster lobbying firm. His selection as Labour’s candidate for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich was controversial as he was only on a shortlist.

Jack said he made two bets in March on elections in May and June and then another in April on an election day sometime between July and September.

“I have not violated any gambling rules… I did not know about the election date until the day the election was called,” he said in a statement to the Financial Times.

The BBC had previously reported that Jack told the broadcaster shortly after Sunak’s election announcement that he had earned £2,100 by betting on the election dates in June and July.

According to the BBC, Jack said last week that his previous comments were “a joke” and “I was kidding you.”

Meanwhile, Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said George had been contacted by the Gambling Commission about “betting on the timing of the general election”.

“Russell George has resigned from the Welsh Conservatives’ Shadow Cabinet while these investigations are ongoing,” he added. George was not immediately available for comment.

Sunak withdrew his support on Tuesday from two Conservative candidates who were allegedly involved in betting on the timing of the election.

The Prime Minister had previously supported Craig Williams and Laura Saunders for several days.

Saunders, a Conservative staffer, is running in Bristol North West, while Williams, a former parliamentary staffer to Sunak, is running in Montgomeryshire.

With nominations closed, Williams and Saunders, like Craig, will appear on their parties’ ballots but will no longer enjoy official support.

In a statement, Williams said he made “an error of judgement but not a misdemeanor” in placing the bet, adding: “I intend to clear my name.”

The other Tories being investigated by the commission are Tony Lee, Conservative campaign manager and Saunders’ husband, and Nick Mason, the party’s data protection commissioner.

Sunak said he was “extremely angry” about the scandal, but said he would wait for official investigations into the possible use of confidential information for election betting before taking disciplinary action.

When asked why Sunak had changed his mind, a Tory representative simply said: “Further investigation.”

London’s Metropolitan Police announced that five more officers were being investigated for allegedly placing bets on the timing of the election. The incident occurred last week when one of Sunak’s bodyguards was arrested.

The commission has expanded its investigation to look at hundreds of bets made in the days before Sunak’s election was called, and is combing through stakes – where individuals won more than £199 – to uncover possible links to politicians.