Alex Cole-Hamilton says he placed bets on Scottish Lib Dems election candidates

The Scottish Lib Dem leader has said he placed bets on his own party's candidates, according to reports.

Alex Cole-Hamilton told ITV Border he bet on Lib Dem candidates but confirmed he did not bet on the election date.

It comes as several officials and candidates from the Conservative Party are under investigation from the gambling watchdog after they bet on the date of the election.

A Labour candidate was dropped by the party after he bet against himself winning in his constituency.

Cole-Hamilton said he has broken no rules by betting on Scottish Lib Dem candidates. The MSP also said he doesn't see moral problem with placing the bets but added that he is open to the rules being changed.

It comes after Tory Shadow Scotland Secretary Alister Jack admitted to placing three bets on the date of the general election.

Jack said he had broken no rules but admitted he put three wagers on the timing of the July 4 poll.

He said he had in April put £20 at 5/1 on an election being held between July and September, but that he had no knowledge of when it would be called until the day Rishi Sunak fired the starting gun on May 22.

It came after the BBC reported that he had told the broadcaster he made more than £2,000 from betting on the date, but he later dismissed the comments as a “joke”.

The Tories finally dropped two of their candidates on Tuesday after it emerged they were being investigated over betting on the timing of the election.

BBC's Newsnight programme reported that up to 15 Conservative Party officials and candidates are being looked at over bets on the date of the general election.

Anas Sarwar insisted he is “confident” all Scottish Labour candidates in next week’s General Election are “behaving appropriately” as the scandal widened.

The party leader spoke out after Labour south of the border was forced to act against a candidate who had placed a bet against himself.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme, he said: “That is a participant in an individual contest who made a bet on that individual contest, which is not acceptable, which is why he was stripped of his candidacy and why any donations he made to the party have been immediately returned.”

Asked if he could guarantee no Scottish Labour candidates would become embroiled in the election betting scandal, Mr Sarwar said: “Absolutely. I am confident that our candidates are all behaving appropriately and acting appropriately and spending their time doing what they should be doing, talking to the voters, persuading them of our positive future, rather than looking at betting odds.”

Pressed on whether any of his party’s candidates had placed bets, he said: “I’m not aware of any bets being placed.

“I think it is important to stress the difference between those that will place bets on a flutter, like when they are watching the football, watching the horseracing, things like that, compared with those with someone who has inside knowledge.”

He continued: “I’m not aware of any bets. Of course we have made it very clear to our candidates that they should be spending all their time speaking to voters, persuading them of our positive alternative, our future and the opportunity to get rid of the Tories that they can’t miss. That is what they should be focused on.”

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