Even money
Hugo Swire says Tessa Jowell's casino bill may be defeated tomorrow. Her Casino Advisory Panel had recommended establishing one regional casino (over 5000 sq m), 8 large casinos (1500-5000 sq m) and 8 small ones. There was consternation when Manchester, the 16-1 favourite, rather than Blackpool won the regional contract as Blackpool is in greater need of regeneration and the Panel's decision was criticised by the pre-legislative scrutiny committee and the Lords. The scrutiny committee complained that many of its recommendations had been ignored and raised serious issues about whether the Panel has fulfilled the criteria under which it operates. The Conservatives said they would support the 8 large and 8 small casinos but said that the regional casino decision should be delayed for 3-4 weeks to check the due diligence process. Tessa Jowell refused and said it's all or nothing. The bill will be debated at 3.30pm tomorrow in the Lords and at 4.30pm in the Commons and is dead if either House votes against it. 83 Labour MPs are anti-Manchester and want a delay, meanwhile, this afternoon Tessa's trying her best to sweeten it for the Lords.
posted by Whispering Walls at 1:23 pm
6 Comments:
I think anything which delays this ill-considered legislation has to be a good thing. Don't know if you saw the 'Kombat Opera' about 24 hour drinking, set in Nottingham. The last thing we need is yet more 24 gambling to go with 24 hour drinking. Enough is enough - let us wait to see the 'unintended consequences' of one set of legislation before signing up for yet more.
Jowell does remind me of one of the occupiers of said 'dens of iniquity' in that she is doubling-up her stake on increasingly precarious odds in the hope that she will have a win that will get her back even. But enough about the state of her marriage..
She doesn't really understand the subtle dealing and plea-bargaining required to cut an acceptable compromise on this. The Lords will eat her for breakfast. And after a period of 'reflection' to consider the proposals they will decide that the supercasino should be in the Millennium dome, and heigh-ho, the 'loans' can be paid off by new dosh from an American chum who I won't name otherwise Ms Whisperer's libel lawyer will get very cross..
On a separate note, I recently bought from "Mike's Good Buy Books" in Bath two of the 'Crap Towns' series at the bargain price of £4 each. I am surprised to learn that Winchester makes it in there, at number 21. Higher than Newbury [37] and Bristol [26] although not as bad as Bath [7]. Never having been to Winchester I cannot really pass comment although I cannot really believe that it is considered on a par with Port Talbot [20]. However I do find the 'fact' that there is no night club in Winchester hard to believe, although the book is 2 yrs out of date. Perhaps that is a gap in the market for you to exploit ?
kinglear will probably give the authors a ticking off, as they do not seem to have ventured very much north of the border. Airdrie does get a mention at number 27, along with the fascinating statistic that sales of Buckfast tonic wine shot up by 200% when a campaign against it was started by the local MP.
As Tessa Jowell might have said, 'There's no such thing as bad publicity..'..
WW, I don't know what I think about this - I really don't. I am the daughter of a compulsive gambler, a generous and wonderful man, I hasten to add, but we did suffer as a family. He would have said that you could always find something to gamble on - like which of 2 flies would reach the bottom of a shop window first - so that having super casinos would make no difference. But part of the attraction is the "glamour" [when you are winning] of how you are treated and all that [it's a very different matter when you are losing] and so making big gambling easier is not, I think, a good idea. I am still sickened by that image of Jowell leaning across a casino table and glamorising the image of something that brings so much misery to so many. Yes, "people want to gamble so let them", I heard on Sky yesterday [I forget which gov sage contributed that wisdom] but people often want to murder each other as well - does that mean we should let them? Oops, sorry - gone on again!
A & WL - I agree with you that 24 hour drinking and gambling should not be encouraged. The regional casino will have "Category A" machines which have unlimited payout and are highly addictive.
My dear Welsh reader, if this is indeed your comment, you may be pleased to hear that Winchester has turned around since that book was published and was voted the best place to live in October 2006. There are at least two nightclubs although I cannot relay any first-hand reviews.
WW - Maybe in view of the 'best place to live' award you could lobby for Winchester Cathedral to take the place of Worcester Cathedral on the back of £ 20 notes which are now being taken out of circulation ?
Off now to read your views on the Olympics !
YES !! the Lords have come to our rescue yet again !! Even more of an argument for maintaining an appointed Upper House.
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