Stuart Andrew, Britain’s former gambling minister, has been named as shadow secretary of state for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) by the new Labour government. As someone deeply familiar with the ongoing reforms and the gambling sector as a whole, he will be a valuable addition to the department and the overall shadow cabinet.
Andrew Is Intimately Familiar with the Industry
Andrew was named as shadow secretary of state for the DCMS by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch who finalized her shadow cabinet yesterday.
Andrew was one of the obvious choices for the position thanks to his intimate knowledge of gambling, the white paper, the ongoing gambling reforms and the surrounding controversies.
His appointment comes as Britain struggles to continue the reforms in the aftermath of the recent election. Keir Starmer’s historic victory led to significant changes that put many of the measures outlined in the white paper on hold.
Andrew was said to be nearing a levy agreement with the betting and racing sectors, which also fell through because of the political shifts.
In any case, Andrew said that he is glad to be back on board and promised to resume the talks with industry stakeholders.
Labour Leaders and Industry Stakeholders Hailed the Appointment
In an interview with the Racing Post, Andrew said that he really enjoyed his role in the DCMS and is glad to be back. He vowed to continue his hard work alongside industry stakeholders and finally make significant progress when it comes to the industry talks and reforms.
My job is just to make sure that I highlight on behalf of stakeholders their concerns, try to ascertain from government what their timetable is and get an update on what their direction of policy is so we can bring about some certainty for the sector.
Stuart Andrew, shadow secretary of state, DCMS
On his official X profile, Andrew added that he is looking forward to holding the Labour government to account and “developing the Conservative vision” for the gaming and betting industries.
His appointment was welcomed by the Betting and Gaming Council, which described him as a “hugely experienced and respected politician,” who knows the gambling sector very well.
Stuart was also welcomed to the overall DCMS team by Lisa Nandy MP who said that she is looking forward to working with him and sharing the passion for the “richer, larger lives music, art, sport and culture unlock.”
In the meantime, the government opted to postpone its planned tax increases and evaluate industry feedback.