Why the betting saga matterspublished at 07:50 26 June

07:50 26 June

Chris Mason
Political editor

Let us be clear - in all of the developments in recent days relating to alleged betting, there is a huge amount reporters don’t know.

In plenty of the alleged cases, we don’t know if there was indeed a bet, how much was bet, how many bets there were, precisely what was bet on, what the odds were, what the winnings were or, crucially, what the person placing the bet did or didn’t know about when the election would be.

What the revelations may help reveal, at least in part, is something about the judgement of those in senior roles, in office or seeking office.

For the party leaders in situations like this, they can find themselves prisoners of the alleged behaviour of others.

Imagine you were Rishi Sunak, or Keir Starmer. You’d be incandescent.

But you will also be judged by your response. The nature of it and the speed of it.

Read Chris's analysis here.

As BBC Newsnight learnt that up to 15 Conservative Party candidates and officials were being scrutinised for alleged betting (see our previous post), Labour has admitted that it made a mistake with its raffle which raises money from party members over the age of 18.

Labour says its terms and conditions for raffle tickets correctly stated that members could enter for free. But this was not repeated in a covering letter.

Labour agreed with the Gambling Commission that this was a mistake. And so the party sent an email to party members over the age of 18 clarifying that they could enter the raffle for free.

This comes as Labour swiftly suspended parliamentary candidate Kevin Craig after being told the Gambling Commission had launched an investigation into him.

A BBC Newsnight investigation has learnt that up to 15 Conservative Party candidates and officials are being scrutinised for alleged betting on the timing of the election by the Gambling Commission.

The revelations by BBC Newsnight came as it emerged that five members of the Conservatives were being looked at over betting allegations.

Newsnight understands that Craig Williams, a former close aide to Rishi Sunak and one of the candidates, will be interviewed this week by Commission officials.

Newsnight has also learned there is expected to be a meeting on Friday between the Metropolitan Police and the Gambling Commission about one of Rishi Sunak’s close protection officers who was arrested last week and placed on restrictive duties over allegations of election betting.

The Conservative Party told Newsnight they were cooperating with the Gambling Commission. They said they could not confirm how many of their officials or candidates might be facing scrutiny.

A spokesperson for the Gambling Commission said: “Currently the Commission is investigating the possibility of offences concerning the date of the election.

"This is an ongoing investigation, and the Commission cannot provide any further details at this time. We are not confirming or denying the identity of any individuals involved in this investigation.”

A few days after the general election was called, Alister Jack told me he’d won £2,100 after placing a series of bets on its timing.

He later said that was a joke, he was ‘pulling my leg’, and he had never placed any bets in May - the month the prime minister made his surprise announcement.

The Scottish Secretary has now admitted that in March he placed two small unsuccessful bets and in April he placed one successful one. But he said his winnings totalled £100.

Jack, who is standing down from parliament, said he had not breached any gambling rules, he was not under investigation by the Gambling Commission and he’d had no knowledge of the date of the election until the day it was called.

But his actions raise questions as to whether it’s appropriate for cabinet ministers to bet on a decision that is made by their boss.

A fair bet that gambling will come up in tonight's debatepublished at 07:07 26 June

07:07 26 June

Iain Watson
Political correspondent

With polling day little more than a week away, the prime minister - and the man who wants his job - will clash in the second and final head-to-head debate of the campaign.

And it’s a fair bet that gambling will be discussed.

The Conservatives have withdrawn support from two candidates, two party officials are also subject to an investigation by the gambling watchdog,

And a Tory member of the welsh Senedd stepped down from a front bench post last night when he faced inquiries from the Gambling Commission.

Labour hasn’t been immune, with one of their candidates swiftly suspended when he admitted to wagering that the Conservatives would win the seat he was contesting.

The party leaders would of course prefer to talk about other topics.

Ahead of the debate, Labour is pledging to improve access to GPs in England to end the 8am scramble for on the day appointments

The Conservatives say they would cut National Insurance rates further in their first post-election budget.

Even bigger issues may well be raised by the audience – with independent experts suggesting the main parties have ducked debate on the state of the public finances.

But with Westminster braced for further gambling allegations, the party leaders might need a degree of luck if they want to steer the debate on to their own agendas.

As we've been reporting, we know of five members of the Conservatives who are being looked at over allegations of betting on the date of the general election.

Yesterday, Russell George - a politician in the Welsh Parliament - became the fifth Conservative to face inquiries.

The party also withdrew its support for two of its candidates - Craig Williams, standing in Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, and Laura Saunders, a candidate in Bristol North West.

Two members of Conservative staff have also taken leaves of absence from their roles after it emerged they were being looked into by the Gambling Commission.

Meanwhile, Labour announced it was suspending Kevin Craig as its candidate for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich after learning the Gambling Commission had launched an investigation into him.

Craig said he made a "stupid error" in betting he would lose his bid to become an MP.

The Gambling Commission has said it is not "confirming or denying the identity of any individuals involved in this investigation", and it is understood the regulator will be carrying out interviews this week.

Welcome back to our coverage of another day on the campaign trail.

Yesterday was dominated by more revelations around and investigations into alleged bets, with a politician in the Welsh Parliament becoming the fifth Conservative to be looked at over a bet on the timing of the general election.

Meanwhile, a Labour candidate was suspended after betting on himself to lose.

This evening, the BBC will host the final Sunak-Starmer showdown before polling day - that's taking place at 20:15 BST in Nottingham, and we'll be bringing you all the updates live.

Until then, party leaders and MPs will be out and about around the country, campaigning on cancer care, GP appointments and many other issues.

Stay with us as we bring you all the twists and turns of today.

That's it from us for another day. We'll be back bright and early tomorrow morning to take you through the twists and turns of whatever the day holds.

And don't forget - tomorrow night, the BBC will host the final Sunak-Starmer showdown before polling day, so set a reminder join us (20:15 BST start, popcorn non-negotiable).

If you're wanting more before then, there's still plenty on offer across the BBC:

• Catch up with our round up of the day here
• Listen to the latest episode of BBC Newscast podcast here
• Subscribe to our Election Essentials newsletter for key analysis every weekday here
• Stream the latest news on the election on iPlayer here
• Get involved by telling us which issues matter to you - and what you want us to explain - here
• Read up on the dos and don'ts for polling day - we've pulled together everything you need to know here

Making headlines again today were revelations around and investigations into alleged bets. (You can get up to date on all the new developments here - and read analysis from our political editor Chris Mason here.)

But that's not all that's been happening. Here's look at what's been happening on the wider campaign trail:

• Four people were arrested on suspicion of trespassing on the grounds of Rishi Sunak's constituency home, with the PM thanking the police for taking "swift" action
• Elsewhere, Conservative Health Secretary Victoria Atkins accused Labour of planning to introduce self-identification for transgender people "by the back door"
• Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer denied this, and said the debate around gender needs to be conducted "with the respect it deserves"
• Starmer also said it's "not right" that state schools are having to use supply teachers for core subjects like maths, while discussing his party's policy to charge VAT on private school fees
• Meanwhile, SNP Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said Scotland could become a "green energy powerhouse" while campaigning at a wind farm in East Lothian

• Sunak stepped away from campaigning today to greet the Emperor and Empress of Japan, who are visiting London on a state visit
• Sunak, Starmer and Ed Davey also joined the Japanese and British royal families at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace this evening

Image source, PA Media

With just nine days to go until the election, the BBC is tomorrow hosting the final head-to-head debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer before polling day.

Where's it all happening? The debate is being held in Nottingham in front of a studio audience.

Who's hosting? Mishal Husain - she also chaired the BBC's seven-way debate earlier in the campaign.

What time does it start? 20:15 BST on Wednesday.

Where can you watch it? It will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. A signed version will also be available on the BBC News Channel.

What comes after that? From 21:30 BST, Laura Kuenssberg and Clive Myrie, the hosts of the BBC’s election night coverage, will present reaction and analysis live from the debate venue.

And, as always, we will be covering all it all live on this page.

We've just received a short statement from No 10 after four people were arrested on suspicion of trespassing in the grounds of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's constituency home in North Yorkshire:

A No 10 spokesperson says: "The Prime Minister thanks the police for their swift response to keep him and his family safe.

"As this is a live police investigation, further queries should be direct to the relevant police force."

• Read our full story here.

Since BBC Newsbeat sent me to my first checkpoint for our Race Across the UK election coverage, young voters have been telling me they’re disillusioned with politics - and it’s no different in Londonderry.

"I don’t really do politics – I’m not interested in that," says Aisling, before adding: "But I’ll still vote."

She’s out with Christopher and they both agree that mental health is an issue in Derry and they’d like improving that to be a priority for politicians.

"Our city struggles with that a lot," says Christopher.

Aisling adds: "There definitely needs to be more services in Derry for people suffering with addiction. It’s rife at the moment."

Back now to our colleagues at BBC Newsbeat, who continued their general election Race Across the UK today in Londonderry.

A central issue for prospective voters I’ve spoken to for this general election is the cost of living, and earlier in Londonderry I met Tyler Norton and Kevin Johnson.

"Rent’s going up a lot and people are starting to get roommates now instead of trying to go out on their own," says Tyler.

While Kevin’s been able to get his own place, he says even though minimum wage has gone up, "it’s a lot more difficult to keep on top of rent and grocers and still have enough spending money".

But he tells me it’s a different story for friends and family south of the border in the Republic of Ireland.

"My cousin’s 16 and she’s able to get a job but it took me until I was 18 to get a proper job," he says.

"There’s a lack of opportunities for young people here."

We've had a run of breaking news this evening, with several updates on election betting - you can get up to speed in our recap below.

Just before it was revealed that Labour had suspended its candidate Kevin Craig - after he bet on the Tories to win his seat in the election - we were highlighting the work of our BBC Newsbeat colleagues, who have been out and about speaking to young voters in Londonderry.

We'll return to those interviews now, before taking a look at what else has been happening on the campaign trail.

A lot has happened over the past few hours.

If you're just joining us, or need a recap, here's a short guide to all the key developments:

• Moments ago, Conservative Russell George, member of the Welsh Parliament, announced he was stepping back from his party's shadow cabinet while being looked into by the Gambling Commission over a bet he placed on the timing of the election

• Just before that, Conservative cabinet minister Alister Jack denied breaking gambling rules after telling the BBC he’d won £2,100 by betting on June and July election dates
• Elsewhere, Labour suspended its candidate Kevin Craig after learning the Gambling Commission had launched an investigation into him after he bet on the Tories to win his seat in the election
• Also this afternoon, the Met Police said five more police officers were being looked into by the Gambling Commission over bets placed on the timing of the election. This came after one of the PM's close protection officers was arrested
• And this morning, the Conservative Party withdrew support from candidates Craig Williams and Laura Saunders who are being looked into for allegedly betting on the timing of the election

Another Conservative – this time a member of the Welsh Parliament – is being investigated by the Gambling Commission over a bet about the timing of the general election.

Russell George, who is the Senedd member for Montgomeryshire, has tonight said he will “cooperate fully” with the betting regulator.

In a statement, he added: “I have stepped back from the shadow cabinet while the investigation is ongoing. I have done this as I do not wish to be an unnecessary distraction to their work.”

George is the fifth Conservative figure to be publicly revealed as facing inquiries by the Gambling Commission.

Craig Williams, the first Tory to admit he had placed a bet on the timing of the election and a parliamentary aide to the prime minister, is also from Montgomeryshire.

The BBC understands George’s bet, placed online for a July election, was placed over a week before the election was called and neither man was aware of the other’s bet.

It is not known how much Russell George bet or what the odds were.

The Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, said “all other members of the Welsh Conservative Group have confirmed that they have not placed any bets.”

A bit more breaking news for you now - four men have been arrested on suspicion of trespassing in the grounds of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's constituency home.

North Yorkshire Police said it had arrested the men "within one minute of them entering the grounds" of his North Yorkshire home.

The four were detained at around 12.40 BST, before being escorted off the property, officers said.

The men, aged 52 from London, 43 from Bolton, 21 from Manchester, and 20 from Chichester, remained in police custody for questioning and inquiries were ongoing, the force added.

Read our full story here.

Image source, EPA

A Conservative cabinet minister claimed that he won more than £2,000 betting on a July general election.

Shortly after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the election date, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack told the BBC he had made £2,100 after betting on June and July election dates. He claimed one of the bets was placed at odds of 25/1.

Last week, Jack told the BBC the comments were “a joke… I was pulling your leg”.

Today, the Scottish Secretary said in a statement he “did not place any bets on the date of the general election during May”.

Rishi Sunak made his surprise election announcement on 22 May.

“I am very clear that I have never, on any occasion, broken any Gambling Commission rules”, said Jack.

“I did not place any bets on the date of the general election during May - the period under investigation by the Gambling Commission.

“Furthermore, I am not aware of any family or friends placing bets. I have nothing more to say on this matter.”

Read more in our full story here.

Image source, X/Kevin Craig

The alleged betting scandal took a new twist this afternoon, after it emerged the Gambling Commission is investigating another candidate - this time from the Labour Party.

Who is it? Kevin Craig is the Labour candidate for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich (a full list of candidates is here).

What happened? On Tuesday afternoon, Labour announced it had suspended Craig after learning the Gambling Commission had launched an investigation into him.

What did Craig allegedly do? In a statement, Craig admitted that he put a bet that the Tories would win in his seat. He says he would have given any winnings to local charities. He acknowledges it was a "huge mistake" and is "deeply sorry" - but says he placed the bet with no prior knowledge of the outcome.

What has Labour said? The party said it acted "immediately" as it "upholds the highest standards" of candidates.

What's the context? Craig is the third candidate being looked into by the gambling watchdog. The other two are Conservative candidates and were suspended earlier today. Several Met Police officers are also being looked into.

The suspended Labour candidate Kevin Craig, who lost the support of the party after it learned the Gambling Commission is investigating him over election betting, has just released a statement on X saying, external he "deeply regrets" his actions.

"Throughout my life I have enjoyed the odd bet for fun whether on politics or horses," he says.

"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."

He adds: "I deeply regret what I have done and will take the consequences of this stupid error of judgement on the chin. I am deeply sorry to the many dedicated and loyal local Labour Party volunteers who have been supporting my campaign. I will comply fully with the investigation."