Bacta strengthens Labour ties ahead of general election

As a British general election looks to be on the agenda in the second half of the year, Bacta is making sure to position itself in a favourable spot for a potential Labour government.

The latest engagement programme from the industry body organised a CEO roundtable where Executive Director George Mcgregor and Luxury Leisure CEO Tom Allison met with Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Thangam Debbonaire MP.

Going through the roundtable highlights and diving deeper into Bacta’s political engagement, McGregor said: “This was the first opportunity the Shadow DCMS Secretary had to engage with the industry in such a way and it was a very positive meeting.

“Ours is a complex industry and it is incredibly valuable to be able to draw on the experience of members such as Tom Allison who are able to provide their own insight to the unique challenges faced by operators not least the inability to share rising business costs with machine players and as a result the necessity of having a regular stake and prize review to keep pace with inflation and to remain competitive.

“The General Election has to take place by January 28 2025 and Bacta is taking every opportunity to engage with politicians and in particular to ensure that an incoming Minister understands how the business works and is aware of the contributions made by Bacta members to communities and local economies throughout the country.

“Political engagement is a key part of the comprehensive package of Bacta services and is central to our long-standing commitment to promote and protect members interests.”

Hosted with the support of the Betting and Gaming Council, the roundtable follows a series of collaborations between Bacta and the Labour Party.

Lord McNicol of West Kilbride, who served as Labour Party General Secretary between 2011 and 2018, was previously present at the opening of Bacta’s EAG Expo back in January.

Additionally, Bacta representatives met with a list of North West England Labour Party candidates in February, including Patrick Hurley (Southport), Michelle Scrogham (Barrow & Furness), and Chris Webb (Blackpool South) – with opinion polls suggesting that all three will be elected to the House of Commons.