Ex-Gambling Minister backs Liz Truss as Tory candidates’ industry views revealed
Chris Philp lends vote to Foreign Secretary as Penny Mordaunt and Rishi Sunak’s attitudes to gambling raise prospect of edited white paper
Former Gambling Minister Chris Philp has signalled his support for Liz Truss to become the next leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister.
Philp, who was one of a series of ministers to quit from government to force Boris Johnson’s own resignation as Prime Minister, is set to back Truss in what appears to be a three-way tussle for the keys to No 10.
Truss, who is second favourite with the bookmakers, is facing off against former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt and outside chance Kemi Badenoch. Tom Tugendhat was knocked out of the running yesterday.
Philp’s backing of Truss comes after his replacement as Gambling Minister, Damian Collins, threw his support behind Mordaunt.
After careful thought, I’ve decided to back @trussliz for Leader and PM. I think she has the right mix of experience and vision for a dynamic, high growth economy – with a turbo-charged tech sector at its heart. I will be voting for her later today (and I hope subsequently!)
— Chris Philp MP (@CPhilpOfficial) July 18, 2022
As the white paper into the Gambling Act 2005 review remains with No 10 waiting final approval, with reports suggesting its publication will only come after a new Prime Minister is in place, the opposing support of the current and former Gambling Minister is a potential insight into any changes to policy.
Both Truss and Mordaunt have consistently voted against greater regulation of gambling during their time as MPs, with the pair having entered the House of Commons in 2010.
Most damningly, they both voted against giving local government more powers to regulate betting shops and fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) and against giving councils the power to prevent the proliferation of FOBTs and betting shops.
Additionally, both Truss and Mordaunt voted against a measure that would have required operators to ban customers who had registered for self-exclusion.
Truss was also opposed to an increase stakes and prize limits on certain gambling machines in 2013. Mordaunt was absent from the vote.
With Philp and Collins both having lent their names to the white paper, the backing of apparent anti-reformists in the shape of Truss and Mordaunt could deal a blow to potential changes to legislation.
.@PennyMordaunt has confirmed to me that as Prime Minister she would continue with our world leading Online Safety Bill – just one of the many reasons that I am supporting her to be the next leader of the Conservative Party #PM4PM #OnlineSafetyBill
— Damian Collins (@DamianCollins) July 14, 2022
Elsewhere, the frontrunner in the betting, Rishi Sunak, has reportedly taken a more liberal approach to the review, having contacted the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on at least two occasions to raise concerns over the content of the white paper.
In January 2021, Sunak reportedly contacted DCMS Secretary Oliver Dowden with regards to affordability measures and its potential impact on the horseracing industry.
Sunak’s constituency, Richmond Yorkshire, is home to Catterick racecourse, and stakeholders at the track having implored him to intervene in the review. The training hub of Middleham is also in his constituency.
In March 2022, Sunak wrote again to the DCMS, this time Secretary Nadine Dorries to raise concerns over the measures.
Away from horseracing, Sunak also plunged £2m of British taxpayers’ money into betting exchange startup BetConnect as part of the government’s Future Fund designed to “innovative UK companies that typically rely on equity investment to fund their growth”.
A new Prime Minister is expected to be in place when Parliament returns from its summer recess in early September.
A new leader may well enact a governmental reshuffle, which could pave the way for a return to the DCMS for Philp, who did not rule out a return to government.
Speaking to Sky News, he said: “If I was asked to help out to get the Online Safety Bill to Parliament, I would be willing to help out in any way I could, in any capacity, whoever the leader was and whatever the circumstances were – that’s a matter of public service.
“I want to be clear, I’m not asking for that, I’m not expecting it – I resigned, and when you resign you resign. If I can help out practically I will obviously give practical assistance,” he added.
The leadership contest continues, with the final two expected to revealed by the weekend. After that, the Conservative Party membership chooses their preferred candidate to replace Johnson.