In the same way that the ‘Partygate’ scandal distracted attention away from the serious harms of lockdown and shifted public focus to the age-old story of politicians breaking their own rules instead, the ongoing betting scandal (‘Gamblegate,’ as politicos are now calling it) appears to now overshadow the general election campaign.
Last week, we learnt that four senior Conservative Party insiders were being investigated for placing financial bets—potentially, in some cases, in breach of the Gambling Act—on the date of the general election shortly before prime minister’s ‘surprise’ announcement of a July 4th poll.
Since then, the BBC has revealed that up to 15 Tory prospective parliamentary candidates (PPCs) and officials are being looked into by the Gambling Commission—the UK’s betting regulator—for alleged betting on the timing of the election. Even Alister Jack, a cabinet minister, has been found to have bet three times on the election date.
Labour has also been drawn into the scandal, with its Central Suffolk and North Ipswich candidate suspended after the party was told (again by the Gambling Commission) that he was being investigated, too.
The rules on registering PPCs mean that any individuals suspended for betting will still stand for election on July 4th, even if their parties withdraw support. If elected, they would formally sit as independent members of Parliament. Either way, the Gambling Commission’s report will affect their reputations and could impact their political fate irrespective of the will of the voters.
The scandal does, of course, say a lot about the lack of professionalism in modern British politics, but nothing that we don’t already know. Indeed, you’d be hard pressed now to find a voter—or, indeed, one of the many who have given up on voting altogether—who doesn’t already believe that most of their so-called representatives lack a sense of proper public service, to put it lightly.
Regardless of this, Politico reports—probably correctly—that tonight’s leadership debate between Tory prime minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will be dominated by questions about betting, which has “well and truly taken over the campaign.”
It would be much wiser to focus instead on Labour’s seriously radical plans for government, which appears to have gone over the heads of the witless Conservatives; or, indeed, on the ever-worsening state of the Tories.
Journalist Michael Crick was quite right to say late last week that “in two to three years time, when Starmer and his government are no doubt deeply unpopular, I hope we in the media will ask ourselves: ‘Why were we so supine during the long 2024 election; why didn’t we hold Labour properly to account while we could, and ask more probing questions, and explore their records, rather than give them such an easy ride?’”
When (or, rather, if) Britain’s media class wakes up to this, it will already be too late. That’s something I would put money on.
UK Election Now Overshadowed by Betting Scandal
A person stands with a board display a betting company’s odds for Reform UK, and the party’s parliamentary candidate for Clacton, Nigel Farage, to win the seat, duringhis Farage’s election campaign launch in Clacton-on-Sea, eastern England, on June 4, 2024.
Photo: Ben Stansall / AFP
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In the same way that the ‘Partygate’ scandal distracted attention away from the serious harms of lockdown and shifted public focus to the age-old story of politicians breaking their own rules instead, the ongoing betting scandal (‘Gamblegate,’ as politicos are now calling it) appears to now overshadow the general election campaign.
Last week, we learnt that four senior Conservative Party insiders were being investigated for placing financial bets—potentially, in some cases, in breach of the Gambling Act—on the date of the general election shortly before prime minister’s ‘surprise’ announcement of a July 4th poll.
Since then, the BBC has revealed that up to 15 Tory prospective parliamentary candidates (PPCs) and officials are being looked into by the Gambling Commission—the UK’s betting regulator—for alleged betting on the timing of the election. Even Alister Jack, a cabinet minister, has been found to have bet three times on the election date.
Labour has also been drawn into the scandal, with its Central Suffolk and North Ipswich candidate suspended after the party was told (again by the Gambling Commission) that he was being investigated, too.
The rules on registering PPCs mean that any individuals suspended for betting will still stand for election on July 4th, even if their parties withdraw support. If elected, they would formally sit as independent members of Parliament. Either way, the Gambling Commission’s report will affect their reputations and could impact their political fate irrespective of the will of the voters.
The scandal does, of course, say a lot about the lack of professionalism in modern British politics, but nothing that we don’t already know. Indeed, you’d be hard pressed now to find a voter—or, indeed, one of the many who have given up on voting altogether—who doesn’t already believe that most of their so-called representatives lack a sense of proper public service, to put it lightly.
Regardless of this, Politico reports—probably correctly—that tonight’s leadership debate between Tory prime minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will be dominated by questions about betting, which has “well and truly taken over the campaign.”
It would be much wiser to focus instead on Labour’s seriously radical plans for government, which appears to have gone over the heads of the witless Conservatives; or, indeed, on the ever-worsening state of the Tories.
Journalist Michael Crick was quite right to say late last week that “in two to three years time, when Starmer and his government are no doubt deeply unpopular, I hope we in the media will ask ourselves: ‘Why were we so supine during the long 2024 election; why didn’t we hold Labour properly to account while we could, and ask more probing questions, and explore their records, rather than give them such an easy ride?’”
When (or, rather, if) Britain’s media class wakes up to this, it will already be too late. That’s something I would put money on.
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