A confession was made by a Labour candidate who admitted to placing a bet on losing to his Conservative rival on July 4th.
Cabinet Minister Alister Jack disclosed that he had placed three bets on the general election date. The Scotland Secretary denied any rule-breaking but acknowledged gambling on the timing of the July 4th vote. This revelation adds him to the list of seven parliamentarians and officials involved in the growing Westminster gambling scandal.
Mr. Jack revealed that he placed a £20 bet at 5/1 on the election taking place between July and September in April. He claimed to have no knowledge of the poll’s timing until Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the date on May 22nd. He also admitted to placing two losing wagers in March, betting on the election happening in May and June, each valued at £5.
In a statement to The Epoch Times, Mr. Jack emphasized that he had not breached any Gambling Commission rules during the investigation period in May. He stated that neither he nor his family or friends placed any bets on the general election date.
Mr. Jack will not be running for re-election next month.
The Labour party was also embroiled in the scandal as they suspended their candidate in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, Kevin Craig, after he bet on losing to the Tory candidate. Mr. Craig expressed regret for his actions and pledged full cooperation with the investigation.
The Tories withdrew support for two candidates, Craig Williams and Laura Saunders, who had placed bets on the election timing. Both candidates will still appear on the ballot paper, but the party confirmed they could no longer back them.
The scandal has extended to the police, with allegations of improper betting involving five officers, including a member of Mr. Sunak’s protection team. The Gambling Commission passed information to Scotland Yard, leading to an investigation.
The Metropolitan Police clarified that only one officer was under criminal investigation, while five others were alleged to have placed bets on the election date. The officers involved were from various police units but were not in close protection roles.
The Gambling Commission and Scotland Yard continue to investigate the allegations.
PA Media contributed to this report. Please rewrite this sentence.
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