• frankPodmore@slrpnk.net
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    5 months ago

    Right, but they weren’t doing that. There’s no evidence they were and no motive for them to do so. The comparison with athletes is not apt. A pro footballer who bets on himself and manipulates the outcome is still a pro-footballer afterwards. A politician who bets on themselves and deliberately loses is not a politician afterwards. It does not make sense to do it.

      • frankPodmore@slrpnk.net
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        5 months ago

        “In the 2005 election, I busted a gut to win. I expected to lose. I had a bet on myself to lose in the 2005 election, and my bet went down the pan.”

        He didn’t throw the '05 election, even when he bet against himself.

        • polonius-rex@kbin.run
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          5 months ago

          so to check, you’re fine with a football player betting against themselves, so long as they then happen to win?

      • frankPodmore@slrpnk.net
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        5 months ago

        That’s about one tenth of the annual MP’s salary. So, he has a far greater financial motive to remain an MP than he does to lose and collect the bet.

        • xor@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          5 months ago

          Well except for the fact that the salary option is:

          • granted gradually over a year period
          • requires you to do a full-time job

          If they would be able to get even a slightly worse salaried job instead of being an MP, then the financial motive is - in contrast to your claim - actually in favour of him losing