Nanny state Labour-linked think tank the Social Market Foundation and puritanical Labour MPs are back on the warpath against gambling. This time they’re going for – working men’s clubs…
SMF is announcing today that it wants Machine Games Duty doubled from 20% to 40% on so-called Category B machines. These machines are found in casinos, adult gaming centres, bookies and bingo halls. They also live in casinos, sports and social clubs, working men’s clubs, Royal British Legion clubs and Miners’ Welfare clubs…
There are roughly 2,000 working men’s clubs across the country, many with the Cat B machines the SMF wants to clobber with a 100% tax hike. One such machine is understood to sit in the Stubshaw Cross Community Sports Club in Makerfield near the table football – the club Andy Burnham used as his by-election HQ…
Labour backbencher Alex Ballinger is backing the SMF, which is led by ex-Gordon Brown adviser Theo Bertram. It claims with a straight face that doubling the duty will create jobs because punters will spend their money on other things instead…
One industry source said: “The SMF’s desire to ban gambling knows no bounds, now they’re even attacking sports and social clubs and saying balls to bingo. Not sure that’s what Labour MPs want in the new era.” The think tank is funded by anti-gambling prohibitionist Derek Webb. Will Burnham keep up Labour’s assault on working people?
Kemi Badenoch at the 1922-ConHome bash last night:
“I did praise [Burnham] for his stamina, it was amazing. All I had to do was sit back and lie there. I didn’t have to do anything at all…”