Labour and Liberal Democrats overall losers
After a tense night in UK politics, Boris Johnson’s Conservatives have earned their biggest majority since Margaret Thatcher was reelected in the 1980s.
The party, which was previously in a coalition with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), now has an outright majority of almost 80 MPs after a disastrous night for the Labour Party and their leader Jeremy Corbyn. Labour lost a total of 59 seats and Corbyn has confirmed that he will step down in the near future.
their biggest majority since Margaret Thatcher was reelected in the 1980s
However, it was the Liberal Democrats that had the unluckiest night. Their leader, Jo Swinson, was ousted in Dunbartonshire East. She lost to Scottish National Party (SNP) candidate Amy Callaghan by just 149 votes. Still, the vote share for both the Liberal Democrats and the SNP was up overall.
Gambling a big campaign topic
All parties campaigned heavily on gambling issues in the run up to the election, with both main parties pledging to review the 2005 Gambling Act.
It’s currently unknown as to whether the new Conservative majority government will adopt this principle.
In their manifesto, the Conservatives said that they planned on publishing a new UK-wide cross-government addiction strategy in 2020, including gambling. It is also expected that they will launch a dedicated monitoring unit, claiming that it will be at the heart of government.
It is something that the industry has been following closely. Even at this year’s GambleAware annual conference, CEO Marc Etches outlined how gambling had been ‘crystalized’ in the election campaign.
Brexit was the deciding vote
One thing for certain, though; Brexit, the act of the UK leaving the EU, is now Johnson’s top priority. He campaigned on the slogan ‘Get Brexit Done’ after winning voters over with his ‘oven-ready agreement’ with the EU. This is now ready to push through Parliament over the Christmas period.
Scottish sway a concern
The one immediate concern from the gambling sectors point of view is the sway of support for the SNP who have also been vocal about such issues.
Nicola Sturgeon may have the issue of Scottish nationalism on her hands, but a new devolved gambling strategy may be on the cards. Within its ‘Stronger for Scotland’ manifesto, the SNP pledged to concentrate on minors and their access to in-game items, such as loot boxes. This could include age verification measures or limits on certain sites.
expect more news on changes to agencies and legislation come the New Year
They have also recommended a new independent regulator, though this may work with the Conservative Party’s thoughts of a new monitoring unit.
Now that the numbers are in, the New Year is certain to bring lots of new political changes. With gambling taking such a turn under the spotlight in this election, expect more news on changes to agencies and legislation come the New Year.