Democracy in Action?

The House of Commons debated on the 8th July 2009 an amendment to the Finance Bill 2009 to reduce the level of Gross Profits Tax from the 22% announced by the Chancellor on the 22nd April 2009 to 15%.

Only a handful of MPs bothered to participate in the debate on the proposition to reduce this tax to a comparable level with other types of gambling and there were no dissenting voices from the back benchers who participated.  There are 646 Members of Parliament and yet the vote was lost by 283 votes to 83 votes, 280 chose not to vote.  Many of the MPs who voted against the motion did not even have the courtesy to attend the Chamber to listen to or participate in a reasoned debate.  Is this real democracy?

This is how the votes lined up in the constituencies in which Carlton have clubs.

In support of the Bingo Industry

Willie Rennie, Liberal Democrats Dunferline & West Fife Carlton Club Dunfermline

Angus Robertson, SNP Moray Carlton Clubs Buckie & Elgin

John Cummings, Labour Easington Carlton Club Horden

Against The Bingo Industry

Rt Hon Anne McGuire, Labour Stirling Carlton Club Stirling	Ann McKechin, Labour (minister) Glasgow North  Carlton Club Partick	Rt Hon Adam Ingram, Labour East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow Carlton Club East Kilbride
Rt Hon John McFall, Labour West Dumbaronshire Carlton Club Dumbarton	David Hamilton, Labour Midlothian Carlton Club Dalkeith	Iain Wright, Labour Hartlepool Carlton Club Hartlepool
Alan Campbell, Labour   Tynemouth Carlton Club Whitley Bay

Did not Vote

Rt Hon Alex Salmond, SNP Banff & Buchan Carlton Club Fraserburgh	Jim Devine, Labour Livingston Carlton Club Livingston	Danny Alexander, Liberal Democrats Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey Carlton Club Inverness

It is disappointing that the Government still doesn’t understand how the current taxation system affects individual bingo halls and their operating companies even though they are on record as wanting to “simplify bingo taxation”. Isn’t it about time they listened to the Bingo Industry and its customers who do know how it works?