In June Craig admitted to betting against himself being elected as Labour MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich. He was suspended as the Labour candidate for the constituency but remained on the ballot paper. This was due to the case coming to light so close to the election on 4 July.
He apologised at the time, saying he placed the bet without thinking there was a chance of winning the seat. He also said he intended to donate any winnings to charity and would comply with a Commission-led investigation.
The seat was eventually won by Patrick Spencer of the Conservatives, with his 32.6% share beating Craig’s 23.4%.
The Gambling Commission launched an investigation into election betting in June amid reports that Craig and multiple Conservative party staffers, plus several police officers, placed bets on a 4 July election date. Bets were allegedly placed before then-prime minister Rishi Sunak announced the election date on 22 May.
All were suspected of using confidential information to gain an unfair advantage in betting on the date of the election.
Issuing an update in August, the Metropolitan Police said none of the individuals will face charges of misconduct in public office. However, it added that there is still scope for criminal charges to be brought forward via the Gambling Commission’s ongoing investigation into the use of confidential information to aid betting unfairly.
In a statement issued to iGB today (3 December), the Commission confirmed its investigation into Craig has now closed.
“Our ongoing criminal investigation into confidential information being used to gain an unfair advantage when betting on the date of the General Election continues. We cannot offer further comment,” the Commission said.
Craig’s relief at being cleared
Craig confirmed today on X he has been cleared of wrongdoing. He has also been reinstated to the Labour party after his temporary suspension while the investigation was ongoing.
“Today, I feel a tremendous sense of relief to confirm my total and utter exoneration by the Gambling Commission, as well as my full reinstatement to the Labour Party, which I have served in many ways since 1993,” Craig said.
“I want to put on record my gratitude to the people of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich and, in particular, the local Labour party. Their kindness throughout the ordeal will never be forgotten.
“We were on course for an historic result. I’ll always feel great regret that people were not able to vote for an official Labour candidate on polling day. I feel sadness at the confusion and chaos, which had such an impact on our result,” he added.
Craig wants outright ban on politicians betting on elections
Prior to confirmation of his exoneration, Craig was pushing for a ban on politicians betting on the outcome of elections.
Earlier this week, Craig told The Times that he has written to Downing Street with a draft bill to amend the Representation of the People Act 1983. This would stop anyone involved with politics betting on election results.
“No candidate deserves to go through what I did,” Craig said. “Regardless of whether they’re Reform, Tory, SNP or Lib Dem, I don’t want them to be totally scuppered by the launching of an investigation at a critical moment in a campaign that is impossible to deal with in the white heat of an election, even when they’re innocent.”
Craig believes a ban on those involved in politics betting on elections would be a “constructive addition to the updating of standards in public life that the prime minister is at some point going to look at again”.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/legal-compliance/labour-candidate-cleared-election-betting/
