Have any of your MP candidates ever placed a political bet?

As the Stray Ferret reported last week, the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency, Tom Gordon, has questions to answer about whether or not he has used canvassing information to win money by placing political bets.

The issue of political betting has been a hot topic in recent weeks, after several politicians and police officers with privileged information were revealed to have bet on the date of the general election.

Before we ran our story, we contacted all the candidates standing in the three constituencies that include the former Harrogate district – Harrogate and Knaresborough, Skipton and Ripon, and Wetherby and Easingwold – and asked them one simple question:

Have you ever placed a bet on the timing or outcome of an election that you have been involved in?

Mr Gordon was the only candidate not to respond, despite repeated requests. We have also contacted the national Liberal Democrat press office, which has not addressed the specific allegations.

Here, sorted by constituency, are the answers of all 20 of the other candidates:

Harrogate and Knaresborough

Paul Haslam, independent, said:

“No - how could you when you can influence the result?

“My view is the ‘The only way to predict the future is to create it’ – Peter Drucker.”

A spokesman for Andrew Jones, Conservative, said:

“No, Andrew has never placed a political bet of any kind including, obviously, the timing or outcome of any election.”

Stephen Metcalfe, independent, said:

“No. None of the below.”

Shan Oakes, Green Party, said:

“No, I’ve never placed a bet on anything to do with any election!

“Confession time: re betting I realised after I’d answered the question last night [at the Stray Ferret hustings] about this that I had missed confessing to the fact I’d bought charity raffle tickets this week!

“I also used to place a bet occasionally (many years ago) on point-to-point races as my mum was keen on these events.

“And in the distant past we have sometimes put a bet on the Grand National – something I would never do now, as this race is so dangerous, I disapprove of it.”

Jonathan Swales, Reform UK, said:

“I have never placed a bet on the timing or outcome of an election (including council elections, by-elections and general elections) that I have been involved in (either as a candidate or on the campaign team).”

Conrad Whitcroft, Labour, said:

“I can categorically say that I have never placed a bet on an election ever.”

Skipton and Ripon

Malcolm Birks, Labour, said:

“No I haven't, and I never will.”

Andy Brown, Green Party, said:

“I did look up the odds for the Greens winning more than five seats in the hope of taking money off the bookies, but I couldn't find anyone offering odds and got bored with looking long before I placed the bet.

“I would never use and have never used insider information to bet or trade and I would never vote against myself, or for that matter advise anyone else to bet against me winning!”

Simon Garvey, Reform UK, said:

“The last time I placed a bet was approximately 20 years ago on an FA Cup final. I lost the bet because the game went through to penalties and I was refused my 'winnings'.

“I have never placed a bet on politics.”

Ryan Kett, Yorkshire Party, said:

“Yes, I placed a bet of £5 at odds of 100/1 for me to win in Wakefield Constituency in 2019 where I was the Yorkshire Party candidate. It was a lighthearted novelty bet having been amused that a bookmaker was offering odds. Obviously, I knew I had no chance of that happening as a minor party candidate in a key marginal seat – I finished fifth in a field of six candidates with 1.9% of the vote.

“I would support a blanket ban on political betting for all elected politicians at local authority or national level, as well as all officials of any party with one or more elected MPs, with financial penalties and other sanctions, similar to those imposed on footballers and football club officials who are found to have bet on the outcome of football games.”

Andrew Murday, Liberal Democrat, said:

“I have never placed any bets on any election of any sort.”

Guy Phoenix, Heritage Party, said:

“No, I have not.”

Julian Smith, Conservative, said:

“No I haven’t.”

Keith Tordoff, independent, said:

“I can categorically state I have not placed a bet on the outcome of any of the elections I have been a candidate in.”

Wetherby and Easingwold

John Hall, Yorkshire Party, said:

“No I have not, and would not. In my younger days I rode racehorses and we were not allowed to bet at all on racing.

“To make this simple, perhaps it should be illegal to bet on the outcomes of any industry you are involved with at any time.

“Thanks for taking this issue up, all I say it says a lot about the people involved. Greed comes to mind.”

Mike Jordan, Reform UK, said:

“Never betted in my life other than the lottery, which – needless to say – I have never won!”

James Monaghan, Liberal Democrat, said:

“In a word, no.”

Ben Pickles, Labour, said:

“The answer is no.”

Sir Alec Shelbrooke, Conservative, said:

“I have never placed a personal bet, full stop. The only bets I’ve ever placed have been free charity ones on Grand National day in support of Martin House Children’s Hospice in my constituency.

“Politics is not a game, it is the serious business of dealing with global challenges, growing the economy and implementing policy to improve the lives of our constituents.

“Those Labour and Conservative activists who have got themselves wrapped up in the Gambling Commission’s inquiry are fools for doing so and should feel the full force of the law should they be found to have broken it. I’m pleased to see all party leaders have adopted a similar response.”

Arnold Warneken, Green Party, said:

“No. I am horrified that elected politicians and people in responsible government positions could even contemplate betting on an election date whilst knowing the outcome. I would not even consider betting on an unknown result of an election if I was involved in that election.” 

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