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A senior Tory has defended cabinet minister Alister Jack after he was caught up in the betting scandal which now implicates seven politicians.
The Scotland Secretary placed three wagers on the timing of the general election but said he has not breached any gambling rules.
Mel Stride rushed to his colleague’s defence as he insisted no rules had been breached.
The work and pensions secretary told Times Radio: “The important thing with Alister I think, is the fact... the bet or bets or whatever it may have been that he placed did not occur in May.
“He’s very clear that he has not broken any of the rules and is not indeed being investigated by the Gambling Commission.”
As well as seven politicians, the Gambling Commission is investigating five Metropolitan Police officers, and one constable has already been arrested and questioned.
On Tuesday, Labour was drawn into the scandal, suspending candidate Kevin Craig after being told the Gambling Commission has launched an investigation into him.
Mr Craig said he “deeply” regrets putting a bet on the Tories winning in the Suffolk constituency he is contesting.
Key Points
- Senior Tory defends Alister Jack after he admitted placing bets
- Seven politicians caught up in election betting scandal
- Five more Met officers accused of placing bets
- Craig Williams admits he committed ‘error of judgement'
- Lord Foster demand Sunak explain delay over suspending candidates
- What to expect on the General Election campaign trail on Wednesday
Four men arrested at Sunak’s home released on bail
Four men who were arrested at the Prime Minister’s constituency home in Kirby Sigston, near Northallerton, have been released on bail, North Yorkshire Police said.
The men were detained at around 12.40pm on Tuesday before being escorted off the property and arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.
The force said that the men included one 52-year-old from London, one 43-year-old from Bolton, one 21-year-old from Manchester, and one 20-year-old from Chichester.
On Wednesday, a spokesman said the four have all been released on conditional police bail and “the investigation remains ongoing”.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2024 09:56 1719391823Man arrested in connection with Westminster ‘honeytrap’ scandal
A man has been arrested in connection with the “honeytrap” scandal which rocked Westminster, the Metropolitan Police has confirmed.
Multiple victims have been informed by the force that a man has been arrested in London on suspicion of offences under the Online Safety Act and harassment.
The man was arrested in Islington on Wednesday morning and taken into custody where he remains, the Met said.
Man arrested in connection with Westminster ‘honeytrap’ scandal
Multiple victims have been informed by the Metropolitan Police that a man has been arrested in London on suspicion of offences under the Online Safety Act and harassment
Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2024 09:50 1719391448Rishi Sunak brands David Tennant ‘the problem’ in trans rights row with Kemi Badenoch
Rishi Sunak has intervened in a deepening row between Kemi Badenoch and David Tennant over LGBTQ+ rights, appearing to brand the actor “the problem”.
The Doctor Who star said he wished the women and equalities minister would “shut up” and suggested he hoped for a world in which she “doesn’t exist anymore”, while she fired back that he was a “bigot”.
Rishi Sunak brands David Tennant ‘the problem’ in trans rights row with Kemi Badenoch
Ex-Doctor Who actor called for equalities minister to ‘shut up’ while she fired back that he is a ‘bigot’
Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2024 09:44 1719390059Watch: Tory minister says MP who made election betting 'joke' has dry sense of humour
Starmer should own up to endorsing my 2019 manifesto, Corbyn says
Jeremy Corbyn has responded to Sir Keir Starmer‘s claim that he supported the former Labour leader because he knew he would lose the last general election.
Starmer should own up to endorsing my 2019 manifesto, Corbyn says
Jeremy Corbyn has responded to Sir Keir Starmer's claim that he supported the former Labour leader because he knew he would lose the last general election. The current Labour leader told The Sun’s Never Mind the Ballots show he didn't think his party would win in 2019 under his predecessor. Speaking to LBC on Tuesday, 25 June, Mr Corbyn responded to Sir Keir's remarks and said: "We did campaign events together. I just think we should reflect on our history and be true to ourselves. "He said he wanted to support me as leader of the Labour Party, he said he supported the manifesto which indeed he voted for... I think people should just own up to that."
Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2024 09:05 1719388365Cabinet minister doesn’t know how many Tories will be exposed in betting scandal
Cabinet minister Mel Stride said he did not know how many Tories would end up being dragged into the Gambling Commission investigation into the possible misuse of inside information on the election date.
The BBC reported that 15 Conservative candidates or officials were being looked at by the watchdog.
Mr Stride told LBC Radio: “I don’t know what the number is, what the number may or may not end up as, or indeed which parties may be involved, because we have obviously just heard that a Labour candidate has apparently betted against himself in the constituency in which he is standing and has been suspended as a consequence.
“So I don’t know where all of this will lead, it could be that there will be others across different political parties going forward.
“But what I do know is that in the case of those Conservative candidates, who are being investigated by the Gambling Commission, they have been suspended. They are not supported as Conservative candidates in this election.
“Indeed, the Prime Minister has been very clear that in the event that they are found to have broken the rules by the Gambling Commission, they will be expelled from the Conservative Party.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2024 08:52 1719387821Seven politicians caught up in election betting scandal
The Westminster gambling row has deepened after a cabinet minister revealed he had placed bets on the date of the general election, as the number of politicians involved rises to seven.
Scotland secretary Alister Jack denied having broken any rules but said he put three wagers on the timing of the July 4 poll, becoming the latest of seven politicians and officials to get drawn in to the controversy.
Labour was also dragged into the row on Tuesday, with the party suspending its candidate Kevin Craig after it emerged he had bet that he would lose to the Tories in the contest for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich.
Mr Jack said he had in April put £20 at odds of 5 to 1 on an election being held between July and September, but that he had no knowledge of when it would be called until the day that Rishi Sunak fired the starting gun on May 22.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2024 08:43 1719387440Four arrests at Rishi Sunak’s house after man filmed leaving dirty protest in his lake
Four men have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass at Rishi Sunak’s constituency home, as video appears to show an intruder carrying out a dirty protest in a lake at the property.
The men were detained at around 12.40pm on Tuesday before being escorted off the prime minister’s property in Kirby Sigston, North Yorkshire Police said.
The force added that the men included one 52-year-old from London, one 43-year-old from Bolton, one 21-year-old from Manchester, and one 20-year-old from Chichester.
Four arrests at Sunak’s house after protester leaves ‘parting gift’ in his lake
Four men escorted off prime minister’s constituency property in North Yorkshire by police
Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2024 08:37 1719386381PM backs Kemi Badenock in David Tennant row
Rishi Sunak has backed Kemi Badenoch in the row with David Tennant, after the actor said he wishes the Tory minister would “shut up”.
The prime minister posted on X: “ Freedom of speech is the most powerful feature of our democracy. If you’re calling for women to shut up and wishing they didn’t exist, you are the problem.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain26 June 2024 08:19 1719386005Labour heading towards ‘massive majority,’ Senior Tory says
Labour appears to be heading to a “massive majority”, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said.
The senior Tory, a close ally of Rishi Sunak, told Sky News: “I’m extremely worried for the future if we have a Labour government, particularly if we have one that is totally unrestrained because it has a massive majority, which is what we appear to be heading towards, with very little opposition in Parliament.
“I would just say to people on that score that I think it’s really important that we think very carefully about holding Labour to account, if they are to win this coming General Election, and that people do vote Conservative so that we have a decent opposition at least to an overweening Labour Party.”
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