Helen Whately gets gambling brief following latest reshuffle

Helen Whately is the new minister with responsibility for gambling at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and is expected to oversee horseracing following the latest turn of the ministerial merry-go-round at Westminster.

Whately, the member for Faversham and mid Kent, takes over from Rebecca Pow who held the position for less than two months having herself succeeded Mims Davies only in July.

She will be the third minister to hold the role since last November, when Tracey Crouch resigned over a delay to the introduction of the reduced stakes on FOBTs, and there could be further change if a general election is held before the end of the year.

Whately, who is also deputy chair of the Conservative Party, was first elected to parliament in 2015 and has not made her views on either racing or gambling public.

While Nigel Adams continues as sports minister, racing appears to remain separate to his brief as it is usually tied to gambling.

Nigel Adams: continues as sports minister

A similar situation arose in the early years of David Cameron's coalition government when responsibility for horseracing and gambling rested with the then minister for tourism and heritage John Penrose as sports minister Sir Hugh Robertson was concentrating on the 2012 Olympics.

The latest reshuffle was precipitated by the resignation of Amber Rudd as work and pensions secretary on Saturday.

Therese Coffey, who has been a prominent supporter of racing in Westminster, has been promoted to cabinet to take Rudd's place.

Pow, whose constituency includes Taunton racecourse, has moved to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, where she replaces Zac Goldsmith who has been promoted to cabinet. It is not yet clear whether she has taken over responsibility for animal welfare.

Racing and gambling ministers merry-go-round

May 2015 - November 2018 Tracey Crouch

November 2018 - July 2019 Mims Davies

July 2019 - September 2019 Rebecca Pow

September 2019 Helen Whately

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