Labour suspends candidate who bet on his defeat

Work suspended a parliamentary candidate who had bet that he would lose the parliamentary elections.

The party has dropped Kevin Craig, who is standing for Labour in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, after the Gambling Commission launched an investigation into him.

The Tories currently hold this seat with a majority of 23,391 votes. The previous seat was held by former Tory Dan Poulter, who defected to Labour in April.

In a statement, Craig said: “All my life I have occasionally bet for fun, whether on politics or horses.

“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, it was a big mistake for which I apologize 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 serve in government. I deeply regret what I did and will accept the consequences of this foolish error of judgement.

“I am deeply sorry to the many dedicated and loyal local Labour volunteers who supported my campaign. I will fully support the investigation.”

A Labour spokesman said: “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.”

The Tories are already embroiled in their own betting scandal, with allegations that senior party members bet on the election date.

Earlier today, the party dropped two of its own candidates – Craig Williams and Laura Saunders – over the affair.

Conservative campaign manager Tony Lee – Saunders’ husband – and his chief data officer Nick Mason have both taken leave from their posts after they were also accused of betting on the election date.

One of the Prime Minister’s bodyguards was also arrested as part of the investigation and the Metropolitan Police confirmed today that it had been informed by the Gambling Commission that five other officials had also placed bets on the election date.

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