Anas Sarwar: Ex-Labour candidate’s election bet ‘unacceptable’

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said he is confident none of his party’s general election candidates have behaved inappropriately after one south of the border was suspended for betting against himself.

Labour dropped Kevin Craig as its candidate for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich after the Gambling Commission launched an investigation into him.

Mr Sarwar said his behaviour was “completely unacceptable”.

Several Conservative candidates and senior officials have allegedly bet on the date of the 4 July election.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has admitted to placing three bets on the date in the weeks before Rishi Sunak’s surprise announcement – but said he did not break any rules.

Mr Sarwar said Mr Craig had been suspended as soon as it was confirmed the Gambling Commission had launched an investigation and a £100,000 donation made by the former candidate in May 2023 had been returned.

He told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland: “Insider trading, or the accusation of insider trading is completely unacceptable.”

Mr Sarwar said he did not “have any knowledge of any bets being placed” by Labour candidates in Scotland.

He added: “Absolutely I’m confident that our candidates are all behaving appropriately and acting appropriately and spending their time doing what they should be doing.”

In a statement on social media, Mr Craig said he “did not place this bet with any prior knowledge of the outcome” and had planned on “giving any winnings to local charities”.

“This was a huge mistake, for which I apologise unreservedly,” he said.

The Gambling Commission has not said who it is looking into but so far the names of five Conservatives have emerged, including three candidates.

BBC Newsnight has reported that up to 15 Conservative Party candidates and officials are being looked at.

Mr Jack, who is standing down at the election, told the BBC that in April he placed a successful bet that the election date would fall between July and September – after losing two similar bets in March.

He said he had no knowledge of when the election would be called and was not under investigation by the commission.

Speaking on an election campaign visit in Edinburgh, Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said the gambling regulations governing politicians and those who work in politics should be reviewed.

Asked about Mr Jack’s election date bets, Mr Hoy said he would not have placed any himself.

He added it was up to Mr Jack to account for his actions.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, campaigning in Inverurie, said he had not placed any bets on the election and was not aware of any party members being investigated by the Gambling Commission or the party.

“I don’t think that paints politicians in a good light and I think the public will look very unkindly upon it,” he told BBC Scotland News.

In Edinburgh, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said there was not necessarily a “huge case to answer” for Mr Jack – and revealed he had placed bets on the election.

“Lots of us who follow politics closely will occasionally take a flutter,” he said.

“I have placed bets on this election, just very small, low-level bets on a couple of races around the country and really just showing confidence in my friends, people who I know are working hard and deserve to win.”