Tories delete ad telling public not to ‘bet’ on Labour amid election gambling row

The Tories have deleted an attack advertisment claiming voters will never win if they “bet on Labour” amid a row over election gambling.

The Conservative Party posted an advert on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday, warning “if you bet on Labour, you can never win”.

It featured a video of a roulette wheel with the red and black pockets labelled “more debt” or “more tax” and the caption: “If you think Labour will win. Start saving.”

It is understood the Tories removed the post after being made aware of a copyright issue.

A spoof warning at the bottom corner of the clip also urged people to “vote responsibly” and “BeLabourAware”.

The BBC, which published a screenshot of the advert, reported that the party deleted the post on Thursday as fresh details emerged about alleged election betting, with Tony Lee, the Tories’ director of campaigning, and his wife Laura Saunders, a Conservative candidate, both facing an inquiry by the Gambling Commission.

It was reported on Wednesday night that the gambling regulator was looking into Ms Saunders, the Tory candidate for Bristol North West, over an alleged election bet.