Friday 25th of September 2009
MP attacks bingo tax hike
Another political heavyweight has backed efforts to halt the proposed tax hike on bingo games, while the government admits Westminster has been inundated with letters from angry voters.
Tom Brake MP described chancellor Alistair Darling's plan to raise bingo club duty from 15 per cent to 22 per cent as "yet another example of misdirected taxation".
The member for Carshalton and Wallington went further by pointing out that bingo clubs are part of British community life.
"It is vital that we protect these local businesses, particularly at a time of such economic instability," he said. "Bingo halls are a familiar part of the local environment."
Sandra Gidley, MP for Romsey, and John Barrett, MP for Edinburgh West, have also criticised the bingo tax plans recently.
Bingo tax contested in House of Commons
The issue was recently debated in the House of Commons when Sarah McCarthy-Fry, exchequer secretary to the Treasury, fielded questions from elected representatives.
Having admitted that "many honourable members have received correspondence from their constituents about the importance of bingo", she pledged to continue talks with the bingo industry regarding taxation.
However, she flatly denied a suggestion from Conservative MP Sir Patrick Cormack that she wished to go down in history as "Miss Killjoy".
Buckingham Bingo is a proud supporter of I'm Backing Bingo, a lobby organisation set up to fight the proposed tax rise.
The pressure group has called for bingo club duty to remain at 15 per cent in line with tax rates on comparable industries such as sports betting, football pools and online bingo.
