Former candidate blames UKGC for his loss after betting on his own defeat

Former Labour Party candidate Kevin Craig stood in the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency in the 2024 general election and lost with 4,290 votes. The 55-year-old Craig recalls that he bet £800 (about $1,000) on his defeat in the election. He says he placed the bet a few weeks earlier, because he thought the Conservative Party was unlikely to hold the seat, and he says he had no access to inside information. He says he planned to donate the £400 he would have won to a charity.

Labour suspended Craig on 25 June 2024, nine days before the election, after the UKGC informed party officials about the bet. At the time, Craig apologized and described the bet as "a bit of fun" and "a stupid error of judgment." Because the deadline for nominations had passed, his candidacy continued and his name remained on the ballot paper. In December 2024 the commission closed its investigation, saying there was not enough evidence, and Labour then readopted Craig as its candidate.

Craig says the UKGC has "gone out of control" and warns that other political candidates could face similar treatment. He says his party's internal polling showed him performing well, but he does not share figures to support this claim. He also accuses the commission of leaking confidential correspondence about the investigation to the media, and he is calling for a parliamentary inquiry. The seat was won by the Conservative Party by more than 23,000 votes before boundary changes in 2019.