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Jowell in legislation push to end supercasino row

01/03/2007

Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, intends to back support for a supercasino in Manchester, effectively quashing the hopes of MPs who want the decision overturned in favour of Blackpool.

Ms Jowell will now begin legislative proceedings asking parliament to approve the Casino Advisory Panel's recommendations.

An affirmative order will be presented to both Houses – an all-or-nothing measure that cannot be amended by peers or MPs.

The culture secretary's decision to press ahead comes after reports suggest that deputy prime minister John Prescott is in support of the Blackpool bid. Over a 100 MPs have backed a Commons motion urging the government to reconvene the scrutiny committee that originally examined the draft gambling bill.

A source close to Ms Jowell told the Guardian: "The minister has already told the house she was minded to accept the recommendations but now the proposals have been properly considered she will confirm that position."

The probability of a supercasino arriving in the Beswick area of east Manchester has been welcomed by some locals as a harbinger of regeneration, but others are concerned that the crime level will soar as a result of gambling addiction.




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