By Jessica Frank-Keyes
A Labour candidate has been suspended by the party after the Gambling Commission launched an investigation into him.
Central Suffolk and North Ipswich candidate Kevin Craig is running to be elected to parliament in the place of former Tory Dan Poulter, who is standing down after defecting to Labour ahead of the election.
The probe is understood not to relate to bets on election timing, but rather betting that he would lose in his constituency.
A spokesperson for Labour said after being contacted by the Gambling Commission the party acted immediately to administratively suspend Craig, pending investigation.
They added: “With Keir Starmer as leader, the Labour Party upholds the highest standards for our parliamentary candidates, as the public rightly expects from any party hoping to serve, which is why we have acted immediately in this case.”
It comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pulled support from candidates Craig Williams and Laura Saunders over the general election betting row.
Sunak acted after coming under mounting pressure within the party to take a tougher stance on the alleged use of inside information to bet on the timing of the July 4 poll.
And in a sign of the wider scope of the Gambling Commission’s investigation, the watchdog has also passed information to the Met Police alleging five more officers had placed bets related to the timing of the poll.
City A.M. has contacted Craig for comment.
