At our recent lobby day at Parliament, MP’s told BACTA members the industry to pester their local representatives in order to support the EDM 840 and make sure the issue registers on the government's radar. The Early Day Motion (EDMs) supporting an early review of stakes and prizes and the number of B3 gaming machines allowed in a premises will need at least 100 signatures in order to be effective. As there are so many EDMs that the government only takes notice of those which are well-supported and that BACTA members must help push the issue up the list of priorities. The power that individuals have through their own members of Parliament must be used to encourage them to give support through Geraldine Smith's EDM. Lobbying each and everyone Member of Parliament to support this EDM and attend the Adjournment Debate in the House of Commons next Friday, 22nd February. Geraldine Smith, who laid the EDM, appealed to MPs from the other parties to get behind the motion and put on a united front. She said: "Let's leave party politics out of it. Let's all work together and see what we can do. We've got an early day motion. I've got Conservative signatures on it as well. We could do with a bit more. Let's make it a real cross-party effort and maybe have a delegation to meet with the minister in the near future. I think we can sort this out, if there is a will to do it and time is of the essence." With any EDM, one of the things the government always looks for is a degree of support across the political spectrum on an issue such as gambling. As we know, gambling is not one of the sexy issues for government so persuading our MP’s to sign is basically down to us by proving to them how it will help the members of their own constituency. Fortunately, Don Foster, the Liberal Democrat culture spokesperson, is well behind the initiative and has already signed the EDM. He also highlighted the vast drop in revenue being experienced by members of the trade associations, 20 per cent reduction for BACTA and 23.5 per cent reduction for BALPPA, as a clear reason for making changes.
He said: "All the political parties are recognising the very serious problems, whether you're involved in bingo, in BACTA or BALPPA, the real concerns that you're facing in the present time." Concluding the high profile lobby day, BACTA Chairman Nick Harding told members that if they needed help in lobbying their MPs they should contact BACTA which has a number of resources to help with the activity.
