Three MPs who used to hold government oversight over the two-and-a-half years long Gambling Act review have taken on new roles in Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch‘s Shadow Cabinet.
The Shadow Cabinet is the colloquial term for the Official Opposition, the group of MPs from the second largest party in the House of Commons who formulate and scrutinise official policy.
Nigel Huddleston – Source: House of Commons
Nigel Huddleston, MP for Droitwich and Evesham, has been appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Chris Philp, MP for Croydon South, has been appointed Shadow Home Secretary, and Stuart Andrew, MP for Daventry, has been appointed Health Secretary.
All three MPs have experience of overseeing gambling policy due to roles at the DCMS, which has been welcomed by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC).
Graine Hurst, BGC CEO, said: “We warmly welcome Nigel Huddleston MP to his new role. He knows our industry well and has always championed evidence-based policy and open dialogue.
“We look forward to working with him and his team on the important issues facing our sector, from supporting sport and high street jobs to promoting safer gambling.”
Three of many
Philp, Huddleston and Andrew all had a role in overseeing the review of the 2005 Gambling Act (December 2020-April 2023). Firstly, Philp was Under-Secretary for Digital at the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), appointed by then-PM Boris Johnson in 2021.
He later became Tech and the Digital Economy at the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (SIT) when the ‘digital’ element of DCMS was transferred to the latter department. He resigned from the cabinet in July 2022 in protest against Johnson’s leadership.
Huddleston, meanwhile, was Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from February 2020 to September 2022, moving on to Lord Commissioner of the Treasury. He was also a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
Stuart Andrew – Source: House of Commons
Stuart Andrew was the last MP to oversee the review, filling the Under Secretary role from September 2022 to July 2024. This tenure included overseeing the publication of the Gambling Act review White Paper in April 2023.
At least 10 politicians had direct and indirect responsibility over the Gambling Act review during tenures at the DCMS between 2020 and 2023. These included four Secretaries of State – Oliver Dowden, Nadine Dorries, Michelle Donelan, and Lucy Frazer.
Six Under-Secretaries had oversight of the review at some point during their careers – the abovementioned Philp, Huddleston and Andrew, along with John Whittingdale, Damian Collins, Paul Scully.
Stuart Andrew has also got a new role in the Shadow Cabinet, becoming Shadow Health Secretary. This role could become more relevant in the context of rising calls for gambling to be framed as a public health issue not a business issue.
All in all, more politicians oversaw the repeatedly delayed Gambling Act review than Manchester City have won first division/Premier League titles and seminal punk rock band The Clash released records.
The review of Philp and Huddleston’s political career hammers home just how long these kinds of regulatory reviews can take, and how much they can be impacted by other political developments and factors.
This is particularly relevant at the moment as a group of MPs, the All Party Parliamentary Group for Gambling Reform, is calling for the government to take a fresh look at gambling regulations, despite the ongoing implementation of Gambling Act review recommendations.
Philp gets stuck in
In terms of the duo’s day-to-day duties as Shadow Cabinet members, Huddleston’s responsibilities cover gambling much more than Philp’s. However, it is Philp who has found himself getting involved in a gambling development early on in his Shadow Cabinet career.
Chris Philp – Source: House of Commons
PoliticsHome issued a freedom of information request finding that over 6,500 asylum seekers have been using ASPEN payments cards issued by the home office for living expenses for gambling in bookmakers, casinos, adult gaming centres and at national lottery retailers.
The Home Office has since confirmed to PoliticsHome, the BBC and other outlets that it has initiated an investigation into the revelations. However, it has also reiterated its obligation to support asylum seekers.
As expected, the news caused a stir on social media in political circles, particularly right-leaning ones, with immigration a fiercely debated issue at the moment and one which is influencing many Britons’ voting intentions.PoliticsHome’s revelations show how easily the gambling sector can be impacted by adjacent political issues.
Philp told PoliticsHome: “It is shocking that over 6,000 illegal immigrants have attempted to use hard-working British taxpayers’ money to gamble. They have illegally entered this country without needing to – France is safe, and no one needs to flee from there.
“The British taxpayer has put them up in hotels, and now they slap us in the face by using the money they are given to fund gambling. These illegal immigrants clearly don’t need the money they are given if they are squandering it at casinos and arcades.”
Former Gambling Act review stewards take on Shadow Cabinet roles
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Three MPs who used to hold government oversight over the two-and-a-half years long Gambling Act review have taken on new roles in Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch‘s Shadow Cabinet.
The Shadow Cabinet is the colloquial term for the Official Opposition, the group of MPs from the second largest party in the House of Commons who formulate and scrutinise official policy.
Nigel Huddleston – Source: House of Commons
Nigel Huddleston, MP for Droitwich and Evesham, has been appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Chris Philp, MP for Croydon South, has been appointed Shadow Home Secretary, and Stuart Andrew, MP for Daventry, has been appointed Health Secretary.
All three MPs have experience of overseeing gambling policy due to roles at the DCMS, which has been welcomed by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC).
Graine Hurst, BGC CEO, said: “We warmly welcome Nigel Huddleston MP to his new role. He knows our industry well and has always championed evidence-based policy and open dialogue.
“We look forward to working with him and his team on the important issues facing our sector, from supporting sport and high street jobs to promoting safer gambling.”
Three of many
Philp, Huddleston and Andrew all had a role in overseeing the review of the 2005 Gambling Act (December 2020-April 2023). Firstly, Philp was Under-Secretary for Digital at the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), appointed by then-PM Boris Johnson in 2021.
He later became Tech and the Digital Economy at the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (SIT) when the ‘digital’ element of DCMS was transferred to the latter department. He resigned from the cabinet in July 2022 in protest against Johnson’s leadership.
Huddleston, meanwhile, was Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from February 2020 to September 2022, moving on to Lord Commissioner of the Treasury. He was also a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
Stuart Andrew – Source: House of Commons
Stuart Andrew was the last MP to oversee the review, filling the Under Secretary role from September 2022 to July 2024. This tenure included overseeing the publication of the Gambling Act review White Paper in April 2023.
At least 10 politicians had direct and indirect responsibility over the Gambling Act review during tenures at the DCMS between 2020 and 2023. These included four Secretaries of State – Oliver Dowden, Nadine Dorries, Michelle Donelan, and Lucy Frazer.
Six Under-Secretaries had oversight of the review at some point during their careers – the abovementioned Philp, Huddleston and Andrew, along with John Whittingdale, Damian Collins, Paul Scully.
Stuart Andrew has also got a new role in the Shadow Cabinet, becoming Shadow Health Secretary. This role could become more relevant in the context of rising calls for gambling to be framed as a public health issue not a business issue.
All in all, more politicians oversaw the repeatedly delayed Gambling Act review than Manchester City have won first division/Premier League titles and seminal punk rock band The Clash released records.
The review of Philp and Huddleston’s political career hammers home just how long these kinds of regulatory reviews can take, and how much they can be impacted by other political developments and factors.
This is particularly relevant at the moment as a group of MPs, the All Party Parliamentary Group for Gambling Reform, is calling for the government to take a fresh look at gambling regulations, despite the ongoing implementation of Gambling Act review recommendations.
Philp gets stuck in
In terms of the duo’s day-to-day duties as Shadow Cabinet members, Huddleston’s responsibilities cover gambling much more than Philp’s. However, it is Philp who has found himself getting involved in a gambling development early on in his Shadow Cabinet career.
Chris Philp – Source: House of Commons
PoliticsHome issued a freedom of information request finding that over 6,500 asylum seekers have been using ASPEN payments cards issued by the home office for living expenses for gambling in bookmakers, casinos, adult gaming centres and at national lottery retailers.
The Home Office has since confirmed to PoliticsHome, the BBC and other outlets that it has initiated an investigation into the revelations. However, it has also reiterated its obligation to support asylum seekers.
As expected, the news caused a stir on social media in political circles, particularly right-leaning ones, with immigration a fiercely debated issue at the moment and one which is influencing many Britons’ voting intentions.PoliticsHome’s revelations show how easily the gambling sector can be impacted by adjacent political issues.
Philp told PoliticsHome: “It is shocking that over 6,000 illegal immigrants have attempted to use hard-working British taxpayers’ money to gamble. They have illegally entered this country without needing to – France is safe, and no one needs to flee from there.
“The British taxpayer has put them up in hotels, and now they slap us in the face by using the money they are given to fund gambling. These illegal immigrants clearly don’t need the money they are given if they are squandering it at casinos and arcades.”