Twelve leading Tory MPs join calls to accelerate curbs on FOBTs bow to pressure to bring forward curbs on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs). Over the last three years, much of what the Guardian holds dear has been.
The final straw is thought to have been a letter sent to the chief whip, Julian Smith, on Tuesday night by 12 senior MPs, urging the government to change course. Reuse this content. Most popular.{/INSERTKEYS}{/PARAGRAPH} The government has listened and will now implement the reduction in April My statement on the Government's welcome decision to bring forward the implementation date for the reduction in FOBT stakes pic. Topics Fixed-odds betting terminals. However, after days of speculation about a U-turn, the culture secretary, Jeremy Wright issued a written statement on Wednesday afternoon confirming that the stake reduction would now take place six months earlier. Labour said it would support the amendment, meaning the government was all but certain to lose a vote on the issue next week. The volte-face came less than 24 hours after Whitehall sources said the Treasury was holding firm, despite facing the prospect of being the first to suffer a defeat on its own budget bill since More than MPs — including senior Tory rebels such as Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and David Davis — had put their names to an amendment designed to force the government to bring forward the stake reduction. Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at BusinessDesk Labour said it would support the amendment, meaning the government was all but certain to lose a vote on the issue next week. {PARAGRAPH}{INSERTKEYS}A cut in the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals FOBTs will be brought forward to April after the government backed down in the face of a growing rebellion that made allies of MPs across the political spectrum.