A kind of disgusted amusement

General Election betting scandal

‘Beggars belief,’ one of them said.

‘Incredible,’ said the other.

Both were struggling to contain a kind of disgusted amusement.

It was about 10.40pm on Tuesday 25 June 2024. Tom Bradby and Robert Peston, on the ITV late evening news, were discussing the betting scandal that has erupted just ahead of the General Election.

Surprise date

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak surprised more than a few when he announced a 4 July General Election. Most pundits, most of the public probably, had expected Sunak to cling on as long as possible, calling an election in October or November. But no, he chose, of all dates, American Independence Day.

So far, so not much of a story beyond mild surprise.

Conservatives at it

But then Conservative MP and close Sunak aide, Craig Williams, MP for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, was found to have placed a bet on the election date. Surprise, surprise he bet on July. The Tories have since cut him adrift and if he wins he will have to sit as an independent.

It goes further. A spokesman for the Conservatives said: 

“As a result of ongoing internal inquiries, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as parliamentary candidates at the forthcoming General Election.”

Hang on. Laura Saunders? Saunders is, well she was, the Conservative candidate for Bristol North West. No longer. Seems she also had a suspicious punt on the election date. 

And further. Tony Lee, the Conservatives’ director of campaigning, has ‘stepped back’ from duties, as has their chief data officer, Nick Mason (not the Pink Floyd drummer). Oh, and Tony Lee happens to be married to Laura Saunders. 

You couldn't make this stuff up.

Police at it

It doesn’t stop there. Just last week it came to light that one of the PM’s personal Met police protection officers had been arrested and questioned about bets placed on the timing of the general election. Within a few days it was reported that 5 more police officers were being investigated over similar bets allegedly placed.

All lucky guesses in betting on a July election date? Or is there more to it perhaps? ‘Loose lips sink ships’ and all that. Or should it be ‘loose lips help sink careers’?

Labour at it with a deliberate own goal

But most bizarrely of all is the case of Kevin Craig, who was until recently the Labour candidate for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich in the upcoming General Election. Mr Craig also had a bet recently. But not on the date or month of the election. 

Mr Craig bet on himself to lose. The Gambling Commission is investigating and Labour has suspended him. It is, however, too late for ballot papers to be changed and Kevin Craig’s name will still appear to be endorsed by, and representing, Labour on 4 July.

Plain stupid

We already know that we live in kind of strange times, but it now seems we’re getting into the realms of plain stupid times. How can any of the people mentioned above  – all presumably sound of mind and reasonably well educated and in touch with the news and with a broad understanding of right and wrong – have acted in such an irresponsible, arrogant, stupid and damaging way? Incredible.

And as Peston and Bradby said, it's kind of funny, in a perverse way.