Labour election candidate who gave party £100k suspended after betting on himself to lose

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A Labour election candidate who donated £100k to the party has been suspended after betting on himself to lose at the upcoming general election on July 4.The party suspended Kevin Craig after he bet on himself losing the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich contest and said after being contacted by the Gambling Commission, they took swift action after Mr Craig's "huge mistake."In a statement, Mr Craig said he had placed a bet on himself losing the seat last won by the Tories at the 2019 General Election with a majority of over 23,000.It is expected Labour will also return Mr Craig's £100,000 donation to the party under Keir Starmer's leadership.

The sum was registered with the Electoral Commission in May 2023, reports the Mirror.A Labour Party spokeswoman said: "With Keir Starmer as leader, the Labour party upholds the highest standards for our parliamentary candidates, as the public rightly expects from any party hoping to serve, which is why we have acted immediately in this case."In a statement, Mr Craig regretfully said: "Throughout my life I have enjoyed the odd bet for fun whether on politics or horses.

A few weeks ago when I thought I would never win this seat I put a bet on the Tories to win here with the intention of giving any winnings to local charities."While I did not place this bet with any prior knowledge of the outcome, this was a huge mistake, for which I apologise unreservedly".Kevin Craig continued: "I have so much respect for how Keir Starmer has changed the Labour Party and I have been fighting so hard to win this seat and change the country alongside him."However, it is right that the party upholds the highest standards for its Parliamentary candidates - just as the public expects the highest standards