Bets a ‘bit of fun’, says Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton

Mr Cole-Hamilton said on Wednesday that he had placed some “low-level bets” to “show confidence in my friends”.

Speaking to BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland on Thursday, he said that was “entirely different” to placing bets using insider information.

He backed a review into gambling rules for politicians and officials but did not call for them to be banned on betting on the outcome of elections.

Mr Cole-Hamilton confirmed he had only bet on Lib Dem candidates, saying he would never be “so disloyal” as to back another party.

He denied knowing internal polling or party spend in those constituencies.

“Even if I did, you can’t predict the outcome of an election,” the party leader said.

“These things can swing wildly from week to week.”

He added: “I’ve lost far more than I’ve won, as I have with the Grand National, as I’m sure many of your listeners have done on the Grand National. It’s just a bit of fun.”

Mr Cole-Hamilton said what he had done was “entirely different” to having certainty about an issue and “taking that to the bookies with the hope of cleaning up”.

He said he was not aware of any Lib Dem candidates betting against themselves and said he would be “very concerned” if that was the case.