Investigation Concludes with No Further Action Against Labour Candidate Over Election Bet

An investigation has concluded, clearing a Labour election candidate who previously acknowledged committing a “stupid error” by placing a bet on his own defeat in the race to become an MP. Kevin Craig, the party’s candidate for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, faced suspension from the Labour Party after the Gambling Commission initiated an inquiry into his conduct. The commission verified the closure of its investigation, stating in a letter sent to Mr Craig, which the BBC has seen, that it lacked “sufficient evidence” and would not be pursuing any further action. Mr. Craig has been developing a draft bill aimed at banning election betting by both candidates and political personnel. Mr Craig stated, “The actions of the Gambling Commission and William Hill triggered an awful process for me, the local Labour Party and voters in our constituency.” He further elaborated, “Worst of all, it left the people of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich in limbo – and it devastated the Constituency Labour Party (CLP) and officers as much as it devastated me.” He added, “It has caused a huge amount of pain.” In June, Mr Craig asserted in a social media statement that he “did not place this bet with any prior knowledge of the outcome” and intended to “give any winnings to local charities.” Conservative Dan Poulter secured the seat in 2019; he later defected to Labour in April and declared he would not contest the 2024 election. Patrick Spencer, the Tory candidate, secured the seat, receiving 15,144 votes, which represented a 32.6% share of the total vote. Due to his party suspension occurring only nine days prior to the election, it was no longer possible to remove Mr Craig from the ballot papers, and he ultimately garnered 10,854 votes, equating to a 23.4% share. Philip Barden, a partner at the law firm Devonshires and Mr Craig’s representative, stated that no existing regulations prohibit politicians from placing bets on general election results. He clarified, “The legal obligation is that a bet is not placed with inside information.” Mr Barden further asserted that his client possessed “no inside information” and had “no way of knowing who would win the election.” He remarked, “If anyone had looked at Mr Craig’s confidential gambling records, they would have seen frequent bets being placed on all sorts of outcomes and events.” He concluded, “It should have been clear to all involved that he was just someone who liked a bet, just like millions of other people in the UK.” Mr Craig’s proposed Gambling on Elections Bill, which has been submitted to Sir Keir Starmer, aims to forbid political candidates and staff from placing bets on election outcomes or dates. The Labour Party was contacted for a statement.