Fancy a gamble?
A serving politician placed a bet on the UK’s general election taking place in July, days before the election was announced. He also happens to be the British prime minister’s private secretary. The ‘flutter’ – as described by the politician-turned-bettor – has reportedly led to an inquiry by the Gambling Commission into cheating, a criminal offence, but somehow not cost him his job. In the UK, a general election takes place every five years and is called at the prime minister’s discretion. The upcoming election was due at the latest by January 2025 – yet at least one ‘canny’ operator had an inkling it would come sooner.
Trust in politicians has stagnated (or declined) across Europe, according to Transparency International. But the erosion of faith is comparatively stark in the UK: almost half of the electorate would not trust politicians of any party to put national interests above their own. Even fewer believe those elected would tell the truth in a tight situation, recent polling finds. This gambling debacle is hardly an aberration, but rather another log to a fire already ablaze.