Cabinet Minister Admits Placing Bets On The Date Of The Election
A cabinet minister has become the most senior Tory to admit putting bets on the date of the election.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said he laid three wagers, but only one of them came up.
He was forced to issue a statement after the BBC reported that he had told them he won £2,100 on the July poll - a claim he later said was “a joke”.
Jack said: “Following reports today I want to be absolutely clear I have not breached any gambling rules.
“I placed two unsuccessful bets on the date of the general election and one successful one. I put two bets on in March of £5 each for an election to be held in May and June respectively. In April, I put £20 at 5 to 1 on an election being held between July and September.
“I had no knowledge of the date of the election until the day it was called. As I have said previously, I placed no bets in May and am not under investigation by the Gambling Commission.”
The Tories yesterday dumped two candidates over the betting scandal which has overshadowed that last two weeks of the election campaign.
The party’s campaign director and chief data officer have also taken leaves of absence over the controversy, while one of Rishi Sunak’s close protection officers has also been arrested.
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police has confirmed that the Gambling Commission has told them that five further officers also allegedly placed bets on the election date.
The Labour Party also became embroiled in the controversy last night after it dropped a candidate who placed a bet on himself to lose.
Kevin Craig, who is standing for Labour in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, is also being investigated by the Gambling Commission.
He said: “A few weeks ago, when I thought I would never win this seat, I put a bet on the Tories to win here with the intention of giving any winnings to local charities.
“While I did not place this bet with any prior knowledge of the outcome, this was a huge mistake, for which I apologise unreservedly.”