GOVT ABANDONS COMMUNITIES TO GAMBLING SHARKS

IF I was asked to put in the most simplistic terms what critical value Conservatives lack it would probably be a sense of social responsibility.

So much of what we hear, and so much of what we have seen in the last two-and-a-half years of Tory Government, has been placed on a determined focus political dogma and ideology rather than a genuine understanding of the human impact of decisions that are taken.

That’s why I was totally unsurprised to read the startling figures of a recent study which revealed the problem of increased gambling among communities whose residents can least afford to be out of pocket.

When Labour introduced the Gambling Act on 2005, its objectives were quite clear: to prevent gambling being a source of crime, to ensure gambling was conducted fairly and openly, and to protect children and vulnerable people from being exploited by gambling.

A key part of that was the commitment was to keep under review fixed odds betting terminals.

The Gambling Prevalence Survey was vital to that. Its focus was on keeping a check on gambling patterns and to monitor the impact of fixed odds betting terminals on problem gambling.

Now the Government has scrapped the survey. So although the poorest communities have been shown to be most vulnerable, the Government has left itself with no means to examining the facts and figures so it knows how to tackle the issue. The survey would have provided that information.

I can almost hear George Osborne and David Cameron shrugging their shoulders and absolving themselves of any responsibility now.

They will probably dismiss people drawn into gambling as layabouts who are a drain on society.

And that’s where my frustration lies. The Tories don’t seem to grasp that society isn’t simply something which must conform to the ideologies forced upon it; in fact, society is also the product of such political dogma.

So what separates the Tories from Labour isn’t simply different policies and priorities.

They are also separated by their relationship with the public. The Tories see their role purely and simply as setting the rules and then requiring everyone else to live by them. Theirs is not to help people because, in Tory eyes, people should help themselves.

Labour also believes in people helping themselves, but by providing a cohesive society in which everyone is able to thrive, rather than just those most advantaged by circumstance.

You need look no further than the two economic policies for proof of that. From day one, the Tories have been focused on reducing the deficit by cutting, irrespective of the effect it has on people. In their minds, people will just have to cope.

Labour leader Ed Miliband has offered a different view from the outset. By investing in society rather than slashing at it we would provide society with the tools with which to rebuild itself. It’s not about doing things for people; it’s about creating an environment in which they are able to help themselves.

So the Tories’ lack of interest in dealing with the disproportionate numbers of people in poorer areas losing money on fixed odds betting terminals is hardly a surprise.

The Tory mindset is incapable of seeing such people as the victims of their ideology because they are too obsessed with dismissing them as worthless.

If I was in the Government I would be pushing my party colleagues to reintroduce the Gambling Prevalence Survey tomorrow. Not because it is a priority over and above other areas where there have been cuts, but because people matter and, as elected representatives, we have a responsibility to help.

And I don’t buy the argument that in such financial times it is inevitable that such matters will fall by the wayside as spending becomes even more squeezed.

Why do I not buy it? Because it presumes that the slash and burn approach of this Government is the default position when, in fact, it need not be.

As each day goes by, the consequences of this Government’s repugnant rightwing ideology are being felt by increasing numbers of people. This must focus the minds of every one of us, who believe in a more compassionate and progressive future for our country, to ensure Labour wins the next election.