Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Conservative Party, has assembled a shadow cabinet including MPs who will scrutinise the government over gambling regulation, with Chris Philp immediately slamming the government as “shocking”.

The newly appointed Shadow Home Secretary was speaking to Politics Home after gambling was dragged into the delicate topic of immigration. A PoliticsHome investigation discovered that 6,500 asylum seekers have been using Home Office-issued ASPEN payments cards for gambling.

ASPEN cards are issued to asylum seekers to cover living expenses and other essentials, but PoliticsHome’s freedom of information request has led to allegations that users have been spending the cards at bookmakers, casinos, adult gaming centres and national lottery retailers. 

Speaking to PoliticsHome, Philp stated: “It is shocking that over 6,000 illegal immigrants have attempted to use hard-working British taxpayers’ money to gamble. They have illegally entered this country without needing to – France is safe, and no one needs to flee from there.

“The British taxpayer has put them up in hotels, and now they slap us in the face by using the money they are given to fund gambling. These illegal immigrants clearly don’t need the money they are given if they are squandering it at casinos and arcades.”

The report caused the Home Office to launch an investigation, and also underpin that it has an obligation to support asylum seekers. 

Philp is not the only new addition to the Shadow Cabinet this week, having been joined in the official opposition by Nigel Huddleston and Stuart Andrew. The trio all have experience working on the white paper, which began its implementation under the recently ousted Conservative government. 

Nigel Huddleston’s appointment as DCMS Secretary in particular was welcomed by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), which noted his prior experience as an Undersecretary at the DCMS under the last Conservative government.

Graine Hurst, BGC CEO, commented: “We warmly welcome Nigel Huddleston MP to his new role. He knows our industry well and has always championed evidence-based policy and open dialogue.

“We look forward to working with him and his team on the important issues facing our sector, from supporting sport and high street jobs to promoting safer gambling.”

Responsibility for the Gambling Act Review has been split amongst a myriad of MPs since its formation, however currently in charge is the Head of DCMS Lisa Nandy, who is joined by Chris Bryant MP, Stephanie Peacock MP, and Baroness Twycross, all charged currently finalising the implementation of the UK Gambling Review.

The appointments come at a time when the government is reportedly pondering the dismantling of the DCMS while also facing calls from gambling reform advocates to take another look at regulation, despite the recommendations of the review still being implemented.

The  rumoured disbandment of DCMS is said to be part of Labour ambitions for the reorganisation of the remit and duties of key departments to galvanise the government and tackle the most pressing economic and societal issues facing the UK.

A previous report from The Sunday Times stated that Starmer has tasked his principal strategist, Morgan McSweeney, with crafting a new narrative for Labour to demonstrate its focus on tackling major issues and delivering change. 

Credited as the lead architect of Labour’s 2024 general election victory, McSweeney acknowledged “a big gap between politics and the people in this country,” adding: “They’re not going to accept us until we’ve actually delivered change.”

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