Philip Davies says bet ‘perfectly acceptable thing to do’

In line with The Solar newspaper, Sir Philip Davies wager £8,000 in opposition to himself holding the marginal Shipley constituency within the Common Election, which takes place subsequent Thursday.

Sir Philip, a self-confessed “eager higher”, advised the Telegraph & Argus he was “preventing laborious” to win the seat however stated he fears he’ll lose based mostly on polling.

The politician, who has represented Shipley in Parliament since 2005, stated he had not damaged any guidelines or legal guidelines. 

He added that if he does lose the constituency, profitable the wager can be a “small comfort”.

Requested by the T&A to reply to issues constituents might have over the problem, Sir Philip stated: “I do not know what individuals are sad about specifically, to be sincere with you.

“I am preventing laborious to win the election, I wish to win the election, however I concern I’ll lose – that is not based mostly on any inside data or something like that, it is based mostly on each single ballot that is come out since day one of many marketing campaign. 

“I believed I used to be going to lose the 2005 election as a result of a ballot got here out two days earlier than saying the Labour candidate was 5 factors forward of me – I put a wager on me shedding that election as effectively.

“Happily I received – however my wager went down the pan. 

“I might very very similar to to assume this wager will go down the pan as effectively.

“If I lose, at the very least I will have a small comfort.

“However my goal all through this marketing campaign has been to bust a intestine to win – and that is what I’ll carry on making an attempt to do.”

He added: “What I’ve accomplished is not in opposition to any guidelines, it is not in opposition to the regulation – it is a completely acceptable factor to do.

“If Parliament desires to cross a regulation saying candidates cannot wager in elections, then that is positive, and clearly I might abide by it. 

“However such a regulation does not exist at present.

“I’ve had most likely 15 emails from constituents about this right this moment, and I’ve advised them precisely what I’ve advised you.”

Different Common Election candidates within the Shipley constituency are Simon Dandy (Reform UK); Anna Louise Dixon (Labour Get together); Will Grant (Yorkshire Get together); Waqas Ali Khan (Staff Get together); Darryl Neale Morton-Wright (Christian Peoples Alliance); Nagbea (Impartial); Graham Richard Reed (Liberal Democrats); Paul Shkurka (Social Democratic Get together); Kevin Robert Warnes (Inexperienced Get together).