Tory MP’s ex-aides perform at betting organization that paid him £50,000

The Conservative MP Philip Davies has been accused of “cronyism” just after it emerged that two of his previous aides now oversee safer gambling at the betting company GVC, which compensated Davies £50,000 to suggest on the subject.

Davies approved a £400-an-hour purpose with the corporation between July and September, ahead of a government review of gambling legal guidelines, the Guardian unveiled this 7 days. The work associated advising Ladbrokes operator GVC on safer gambling.

The company’s head of safer gambling and exterior affairs, Sophie Dean, labored for the Shipley MP from at minimum 2013-18, according to parliamentary records and the MP’s web site.

GVC’s chief of company affairs, Grainne Hurst, also labored for Davies as a parliamentary researcher amongst 2010 and 2012. When she was appointed earlier this 12 months, GVC mentioned she would support the organization “lead the market on liable gambling and create interactions with the media and external partners”.

The Labour MP Carolyn Harris, who chairs a cross-get together group of MPs analyzing gambling harm, reported: “It is astonishing that Mr Davies would make it possible for himself to be positioned in this sort of a compromising position.

“Cronyism is alive and nicely it would seem. This does minimal to instil community religion in politicians.”

A spokesperson for GVC stated Davies had reported straight to previous chief executive Kenny Alexander, who signed off on the agreement right before stepping down before this 12 months.

The corporation mentioned his work advising on safer gambling did not contain reporting to Dean, head of safer gambling.

Davies did not return a request for remark, nor did he reply earlier this week when the Guardian questioned him about the nature of his do the job for GVC.

He has considering that explained to a newspaper in his constituency, the Telegraph & Argus, that the deal contained a “no lobbying” clause that prevented him from earning representations on behalf of GVC to ministers in cost of gambling reforms.

GVC also explained to the Guardian that the agreement, which was terminated in September, precluded him from lobbying, which would have been from Household of Commons rules.

Davies has explained that he stepped down from the tradition decide on committee earlier this year to stay away from a conflict of interest given the committee’s operate on gambling.

The Shipley MP is a perfectly-recognized advocate for the market, with a personal and family members heritage in bookmaking.

He has formerly arrive beneath hearth for selling the passions of gambling companies in parliament when accepting hospitality and favourable terms on a betting account with Ladbrokes.

He was cleared of any wrongdoing by the parliamentary requirements watchdog.