UK government names new sports minister
Eastleigh MP Mims Davies appointed to replace Tracey Crouch following FOBT row
Eastleigh MP Mims Davies has been appointed as the UK government’s new sports minister, following the resignation of Tracey Crouch, who quit in a row over delays to implementing stake cuts to FOBTs.
Davies has a limited voting record on gambling issues and was described by press as a “party loyalist”.
GamblingConsultant CEO Steve Donoughue said the new minister showed “no sign of any interest in gambling from background or Parliamentary career”.
Donoughue added: “She seems more old school Tory than Cameroonian Tracey so she may not be so anti-gambling.”
Warwick Bartlett, CEO of Global Betting and Gaming Consultants, added: “I find these days that what influences politicians view of gambling is the back story. Have they had a family member who lost a lot of money gambling? If so the industry can expect problems.”
Bartlett added: “I know that previous ministers’ views have been tainted because a family members problem gambling. So, it makes no difference whether they are hard left or hard right, it comes down to the social experience of their family. If an MP likes horse racing, I have always found that they are reasonable, understand the issues, and have a realistic, pragmatic view of gambling.”
Crouch congratulated the new sports minister on her new role, tweeting:
Congratulations @mimsdavies! You'll be brilliant and I know the fantastic team @DCMS will look after you well. Enjoy!
— Tracey Crouch (@tracey_crouch) November 5, 2018
Crouch, who had previously authored a 95-page report decrying FOBT’s, resigned in protest on Thursday evening, prompting messages of support from 35 MPs. These included Labour MP Carolyn Harris, who called the delay in implementing FOBT cuts “wholly unjustified”, claiming the issue went beyond party lines.
In an article in the Guardian newspaper, Harris said: “FOBTs are causing huge social harm. People are taking their own lives because of them, families are being torn apart, and children are suffering.” Harris later pledged her support to a cross-party coalition aiming to bring the stake cuts forward to April.