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Supercasino bid will face 'formidable opposition'

02/03/2007

Culture secretary Tessa Jowell has been warned that she is up against considerable opposition in both houses in parliament over the decision to award Manchester a supercasino licence.

Labour peer Lord Lipsey, from Salford University's Centre for the Study of Gambling, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the government will have "great difficulty" pushing the idea through the Lords.

He said that a "formidable" alliance has been formed in the upper chamber – those completely opposed to the casino, an anti-Manchester group and those who are worried about the lack of parliamentary consideration, reports the Guardian.

Ms Jowell is driving through an all-or-nothing affirmative order, which asks both houses to approve the Casino Advisory Panel's endorsement of Manchester, as well as the location of 16 smaller casinos.

"After careful consideration, I have decided to put to parliament the recommendations of the independent Casino Advisory Panel," Ms Jowell said.

"Given the exceptional level of interest in the issues and the importance of parliament being able to properly consider the matter, the debate in the Commons will be an extended one."

The affirmative order will effectively kill a Commons motion signed by more than100 MPs which urged the government to reconvene the scrutiny committee that examined the draft gambling bill.





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