Sports Minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over the delay to the Government’s reduction of FOBT maximum stakes from £100 to £2. After a day of uncertainty over whether Crouch would resign or not, including a stormy session of DCMS questions in Parliament this morning where she was absent but numerous backbench MPs from across the Commons stood up to defend her position, Crouch’s resignation was finally confirmed this evening after the Government made clear they would not be changing their position. Crouch was reportedly in tears in the voting lobby…

The Government have lost a competent minister simply over a question of timing, not principle, and there are several Tory backbenchers who sympathise with her. This could prove to be a bit of a headache for them…

UPDATE: Crouch has tweeted her resignation letter, saying that it is “with great sadness I have resigned from one of the best jobs in Government”: