Former Shipley Conservative MP Philip Davies defends betting on own defeat

A Conservative MP who reportedly bet £8,000 that he would lose his own seat said he failed to see the "moral dilemma" after the gamble paid off.

According to reports in a national newspaper, Sir Philip Davies bet against himself to hold onto his Shipley seat ahead of the 4 July poll.

The prediction came to fruition overnight as Labour's Anna Dixon was elected with a majority 8,603 over the veteran Tory.

Sir Philip defended his actions after the result was announced, telling ITV News: "What was wrong about it?

"What's the problem? What's the moral maze?

"I was busting a gut to win the election. I've busted a gut for 19 years to keep win the election.

"I've delivered a huge amount of things for the Shipley constituency all to win the election. I don't see what the moral dilemma is."

It is not known how much Sir Philip, who said he placed a similar bet against himself at the 2005 election, made from the wager.

There is no suggestion he has done anything illegal.

He said he enjoyed gambling as a pastime.

"It's fun, I enjoy it. It's what I derive pleasure from," he said. "Some people derive pleasure from other things, I don't tell them what they should derive pleasure from."

The Westminster gambling row dominated the campaign ahead of the election.

Three weeks ago it was revealed that one of Rishi Sunak's closest parliamentary aides, Craig Williams, had placed a £100 bet on a July election just three days before Mr Sunak announced the election on 22 May.

At least five Conservatives are being investigated by the Gambling Commission as part of its inquiry into wagers on the timing of the general election. Sir Philip is not one of them.

Sir Keir Starmer has said the "sunlight of hope is shining once again" as his Labour Party ended 14 years of Conservative rule with a landslide victory.

"We did it... Change begins now," Sir Keir - who will become the UK's seventh-ever Labour prime minister - told cheering party supporters in the Tate Modern art gallery.

He told the crowd: "And, across our country, people will be waking up to the news, relief that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation.

“And now we can look forward, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.”

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