Chancellor Rachel Reeves is under pressure to cancel a planned appearance at a private reception hosted by the gambling industry's chief lobbyist, Michael Dugher, while the Treasury reviews taxes on the £12bn sector. The event, organised by public relations firm Brunswick, is set to take place at the Labour party conference in Liverpool on 28 September, weeks before Reeves announces her second budget.
Dugher, chair of the Betting & Gaming Council (BGC) and a former Labour MP, has been lobbying the Treasury against raising taxes on online gambling. He recently told BGC members of his efforts to dissuade the government from increasing duties, which could save the industry billions. Reeves and Dugher have a longstanding friendship dating back to their teenage years, and she previously accepted hospitality and donations from gambling executives.
Critics, including former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith and Liberal Democrat MP Daisy Cooper, have questioned the timing of the event. Cooper urged Reeves to commit to raising taxes on online gambling giants at the budget, warning that failure to do so would raise serious questions about undue influence. Tom Brake, director of Unlock Democracy, said the chancellor should have declined the invitation, calling the timing 'very strange'.
A Brunswick spokesperson stated that Dugher's role with the gambling industry is 'completely separate' from his work at the firm. Reeves has previously said she had no formal meeting with the BGC and did not discuss tax changes. The Treasury is considering whether to increase duties on online gambling, a move supported by former prime minister Gordon Brown to help fund public services.
