Kevin Craig,contesting the constituency of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich which was won convincingly by the Conservatives at the last election,was sacked by the party,a spokeswoman said,after it was contacted by the Gambling Commission. His name,however,will still appear on next Thursday’s ballot.
Sir Keir Starmer’s party had been drawn into the election betting scandal which has engulfed British politics.Getty Images
The took several dramatic turns on Tuesday,with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also standing down two of his candidates linked to allegations of betting on the date of the poll after days of intensifying pressure on him to act.
London’s Metropolitan Police also announced that five more officers were under investigation by the wagering watchdog for allegedly placing bets on the timing of the election. A sixth officer was arrested last week.
The scandal,coming just days ahead of the national election,has overshadowed the Conservatives’ campaign. The party is widely expected to lose in a landslide to Labour after 14 years in power.
Craig apologised and described his decision to bet that he would lose his bid to become an MP,as “a stupid error of judgement”. It is unclear how much he placed on the result.
He said in a statement that he had intended to give “any winnings to local charities” when he made the bet a few weeks ago “when I thought I would never win this seat”. He said he would “fully comply” with a Gambling Commission investigation
"Throughout my life I have enjoyed the odd bet for fun whether on politics or horses,"he said on social media.
“While I did not place this bet with any prior knowledge of the outcome,this was a huge mistake,for which I apologise unreservedly. I deeply regret what I have done and will take the consequences of this stupid error of judgement on the chin.”
The BBC reported the Labour Party would return the £100,000 ($190,000) in donations that Craig had made during Keir Starmer’s leadership.
After standing by Craig Williams and Laura Saunders for several days,Sunak had earlier pulled the plug on the candidates on Tuesday morning,as a “result of ongoing internal inquiries”.
Williams,a close ally of Sunak,admitted he placed a £100 bet on a July election days before the date had been announced.
He said in a video post on X that his name would remain on the ballot paper,and he was committed to his campaign in the Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr constituency,where he is a candidate.
UK Labour candidate Kevin Craig has been suspended by the party after betting against himself to win seat at July 4 general election.Supplied
“I committed an error of judgement,not an offence and I want to reiterate my apology directly to you,” he said.
Saunders,a Tory staffer and wife of the party’s campaign director Tony Lee,is standing in Bristol North West. Lee has also taken a leave of absence following allegations he was also investigated over betting.
Sunak announced on May 22 that parliamentary elections would be held on July 4. The date had been a closely guarded secret and many were taken by surprise because a vote had been expected later in the year.
The Metropolitan Police said the five additional officers had not been arrested or suspended. “Decisions on whether they will be subject to any restrictions will be taken in due course,” it said.
Unlike the officer arrested last week,who was one of Sunak’s bodyguards,the Met said none of the five under investigation worked in a close protection role.
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