- author, Joe Pike
- role, Political investigative reporter
A Conservative minister has claimed he won more than £2,000 betting on July’s general election.
Shortly after Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the election date, Scottish Home Secretary Alistair Jack told the BBC he had made £2,100 betting on the election date in June and July. Jack claimed one of his bets was at odds of 25/1.
Last week, Jack told the BBC that the comments were “just a joke… I was just making it in jest”.
In a statement today, Scottish Ministers said they were “not taking any bets on the date of the general election in May”.
Rishi Sunak made the surprise election announcement on May 22nd.
“I state categorically that I have never breached any Gambling Commission rules under any circumstances,” Jack said.
“I did not place any bets on General Election Day in May, which was during the Gambling Commission investigation.
“Furthermore, I have not heard of any family or friends engaging in betting. I have nothing further to say on this matter.”
A Gambling Commission spokesman said: “We are neither confirming nor denying the identities of individuals involved in this investigation.”
Alistair Jack has been telling colleagues and journalists for at least a year that he thinks an election in June or July makes the most strategic sense for the party.
He has represented Scotland in the UK Cabinet since 2019, under Chancellors Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
In February 2024, he expressed “regret” after deleting all his WhatsApp messages during the pandemic.
He said he cleared the files in November 2021 to free up storage space on his phone.
