The Scottish Secretary, Alister Jack, has been accused of betting over £2,000 on June and July as the date of a general election. The Conservative cabinet minister revealed to the BBC shortly after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the election date that he had won £2,100 due to his bet with odds of 25/1. When asked whether he had ever bet on the election date, Mr Jack remained silent. However, last week he stated that his comments were “a joke”.
In response to the allegations, Mr Jack stated that he has never broken any Gambling Commission rules, and denied placing any bets on the date of the general election during May, which is the period under investigation. He further stated that he is unaware of any family or friends placing bets and that he has nothing more to say on this matter.
Mr Jack has been part of the UK cabinet as Scotland’s representative since 2019, under premierships of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. He had voiced his opinion as early as a year ago, suggesting that a June or July election would be most strategically beneficial for his party. The cabinet minister’s decision last year to block the Scottish government’s gender self-ID reforms has been considered as a turning point in the end of Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon’s period in office.
In February 2024, Mr Jack expressed regret about deleting all of his WhatsApp messages during the pandemic. He had erased his files in November 2021 to make space on his phone. The identity of those being investigated by the Gambling Commission has not been confirmed
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