Cabinet minister admits three election bets
A Conservative cabinet minister has acknowledged making three wagers on the timing of the upcoming general election in the weeks preceding Rishi Sunak’s unexpected announcement. Scottish Secretary Alister Jack disclosed to the BBC that he placed bets in April predicting the election would occur between July and September, which turned out to be correct, after losing two earlier bets in March.
Mr. Jack, who will not seek reelection after seven years in Parliament, emphasized that he has not violated any regulations.
Initially claiming to have profited £2,100 from one of the bets, Mr. Jack later clarified that his statement was a jest. He subsequently admitted to placing a £20 bet at odds of five to one, potentially yielding a return of £120. Additionally, he disclosed placing two £5 bets in March, each on elections scheduled for May and June, respectively.
The prime minister made his surprise election announcement on 22 May.
Mr Jack said in a statement: “I had no knowledge of the date of the election until the day it was called.
“I placed no bets in May and am not under investigation by the Gambling Commission.”
A spokesperson for the Gambling Commission said: “We are not confirming or denying the identity of any individuals involved in this investigation.”
Alister Jack had been telling colleagues and journalists for at least a year that he thought a June or July election made the most strategic sense for his party.
He has represented Scotland in the UK cabinet since 2019, under the premierships of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
His controversial decision in 2021 to block the Scottish government’s gender self-ID reforms was seen as a significant moment in the demise of Nicola Sturgeon’s period as Scotland’s First Minister.
In February 2024, he expressed “regret” after deleting all of his WhatsApp messages from during the pandemic.
He said he erased his files to free up storage capacity on his phone in November 2021.
