Bet on Watson for hypocrisy

LABOUR Deputy Leader Tom Watson has turned his ire on Premier League football clubs who receive shirt sponsorship from betting companies.

‘The time for warm words is over,’ he writes in a blog post. ‘Either the industry is going to act in good faith, or we will need stricter regulation of gambling advertising — starting with a ban on football shirt sponsorship.’

Watson somehow forgot to mention that Labour has received more than £400,000 from online gambling company Bet365, which advertises heavily during football matches widely watched by youngsters.

Nor did he reveal that he was given four tickets to last year’s Championship play-off final at Wembley by Sky Betting & Gaming.

The MP for West Bromwich East is always a safe bet when it comes to hypocrisy.