Ed Davey bet on 2010 election but has been 'too busy' to gamble during 2024 campaign

Sir Ed Davey has certainly had a hectic few weeks on the campaign trail.

In Chelmsford on Wednesday - after a photo call which involved him practising CPR on a plastic dummy to a Bee Gees soundtrack - he confirmed he has not bet on this election "at all" and said: "Frankly, I’ve been too busy!"

But he admitted to having "occasionally had a flutter on football and on politics in the past," describing himself as a "serial loser".

The Liberal Democrats leader said he has never placed a bet on himself, but said he did gamble on the outcome of the 2010 general election, in which he was a candidate.

He confirmed betting, and losing, that "we would get more seats than we did".

"I think lots of people would have placed bets on that sort of thing," he said. "I had no insider knowledge. I could see the polls like everyone else, and I got it wrong."

I asked him whether 2010 was the only time he had placed an election bet, and he said there were "probably one or two" other occasions, including the North Shropshire by-election in 2021, when he placed a winning bet on the Lib Dems to take the seat.

Sir Ed claims he can’t remember how much he won.

When asked if he thought he did anything wrong, he said: "I don’t think so. But I would really like the Gambling Commission to look into this because I think there isn’t enough clarity or transparency on this."

He added he did not think anyone should place a bet on themselves in an election, and that he thought "having a flutter" was very different from placing a bet knowing the outcome.

"I think everybody can see that is wrong."

He said he "can’t be completely confident" that any Lib Dem candidates have not placed a bet on themselves in this election.

"We’ve got a candidate in every constituency bar one in the UK. I hope they haven’t placed bets on themselves. It’s an area where we need to get greater clarification."

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