Michelle Donelan will take over responsibility for the government’s gambling review having been appointed as culture secretary by new prime minister Liz Truss on Tuesday night.
The MP for Chippenham, who has spoken of her support for reform of the sector, will have responsibility for publishing the long-delayed gambling white paper.
She succeeds Nadine Dorries, who was given the opportunity to continue at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) but turned down the offer.
Donelan entered parliament in 2015 following a career in media and entertainment which included a spell as international marketing communications manager at World Wrestling Entertainment.
She joined the Whips Office in 2018 and then spent three years in the Department for Education. Donelan became the shortest serving cabinet minister in British history in July when spending two days as education secretary under the then prime minister Boris Johnson.
The government’s gambling review was launched in December 2020 but its resulting proposals have yet to be published, with the white paper the subject of continued delays.
Its reforms are expected to include plans for controversial affordability checks for punters.
In 2018 Donelan gave her support in parliament for government plans to dramatically reduce the stakes on gaming machines in betting shops, saying it addressed an issue which had “destroyed far too many lives”.
She also asked what could be done to address the “dramatic” increase in gambling advertising which she claimed was “preying on the vulnerable”.
The Betting and Gaming Council welcomed Donelan to her new role.
Chief executive Michael Dugher said: “On behalf of the 119,000 people whose jobs are supported by our members – from the high street to hospitality, from tourism to tech – I’d like to congratulate Michelle Donelan on her new role as secretary of state for DCMS.
“Our industry generates £4.5bn in taxes for the Treasury and contributes £7.7bn for the economy in gross value added.
“We have been working extremely closely with the DCMS over many years to help the government find the right balance in the gambling review, so that we continue to drive big changes and higher standards on safer gambling to better protect the most vulnerable, whilst at the same time ensuring that the millions of people who enjoy an occasional flutter perfectly safely and responsibly have the freedom to do so.”
Donelan’s appointment was also welcomed by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gambling Related Harm which tweeted that “reform cannot be delayed any further”.
Further appointments, including that of the minister immediately responsible for betting and horseracing, are set to be made in the coming days.
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