TRACEY Crouch, the former UK Sports Minister, has insisted she has "no regrets" about quitting Theresa May's Government in protest over stalled gambling reforms.
The Conservative MP heaped fresh pressure on the Prime Minister when she resigned her role after being angered by a delay in the introduction of a cut to the maximum stake for fixed-odds betting terminals [FOBTs]. Mrs May could now face a Commons rebellion on the issue in a key vote.
Ms Crouch's resignation drew praise from across the political spectrum as well as from Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Kent MP told reporters: "I have absolutely no regrets about my decision whatsoever. I'm perfectly comfortable with my decision."
Asked if she had full confidence in Mrs May, she replied: "The Prime Minister has an absolutely important job to do to deliver on Brexit and I look forward to being a supportive member of her backbenches."
Ms Crouch resigned from her ministerial post after insisting that not cutting the maximum wager on FOBTs from £100 to £2 until October 2019 was "unjustifiable" and warned it could cost lives.
The move appeared to energise support for bringing in a bet limit earlier with talk of the PM facing a potential rebel amendment to the Finance Bill later this month.
International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt and Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom spoke warmly about Ms Crouch after she quit while Boris Johnson, the former Foreign Secretary, said Ms Crouch deserved credit for sticking by her principles.
Mr Welby tweeted: "@traceycrouch who resigned as Sports Minister over the delay to reducing the maximum stake on fixed odds betting machines, is principled and courageous. May God bless her commitment to doing right."
Meanwhile, in a joint statement, leaders in the Church of England, the Methodist Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the United Reformed Church, the Evangelical Alliance, Christian charity CARE and Quaker Action on Alcohol and Drugs backed Ms Crouch.
They said: "As a minister, she has shown unfailing loyalty to government policy while not concealing her real concern.
"No valid reasons have been given for delaying implementation of the £2 stake. Individuals, families and communities will continue to suffer - at the cost, even, of more avoidable deaths - for six months beyond April 2019, unless the Government accepts that the same reasons which led it to accept the change must lead it to bring the date forward."
In a hard-hitting resignation letter to the PM, Ms Crouch said: "From the time of the announcement to reduce stakes and its implementation, over £1.6 billion will be lost on these machines.
"In addition, two people will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling-related problems and, for that reason as much as any other, I believe this delay is unjustifiable."
But in her response, Mrs May insisted there had been “no delay” in bringing forward the new measure.
"Indeed,” she told Ms Crouch, “as you know from your work as the minister responsible, we listened to those who wanted it to come into effect sooner than April 2020 and have agreed that the changes should be in place within the year; October 2019.”
The PM did not immediately replace Ms Crouch as Sports Minister and is believed to be considering candidates for the role.
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