These men know nothing about betting - but they're on a mission to ruin it for us anyway

"They don't understand!" That was the most common complaint I saw on social media in response to the warblings of Andrew Rhodes and Stuart Andrew on Tuesday. These men don't understand betting or racing, or betting on racing; that was the refrain after their appearances before the DCMS select committee, and I wouldn't argue.

What worries me is that, in the privacy of their own minds, neither man would be all that bothered about such a charge. I feel reasonably safe in asserting that neither has a sophisticated understanding of what life is like as a regular punter but, whether that's true or not, I'm sure neither of them would like to be known for possessing such an understanding. In the present climate, that kind of reputation would be more of an embarrassment to them than a source of pride.

It would be harsh to hold this against Andrew, who has only held the post of gambling minister for a matter of months and can't reasonably be expected to have mastered every aspect of his brief.

Also, he is the sixth person to hold that role in the space of three years, giving a very clear insight into how far down the pecking order it lies in the eyes of this government. Gambling ministers are typically on their way somewhere else. Where is the incentive to engage with the job when the form book says you won't have it for long?

Andrew is like a Tory minister from central casting, immaculately turned out, at ease with himself, a soothing presence if you're willing to be soothed. He said some of the right things, about the importance of horseracing and the need to protect it, about the vast majority of people who enjoy gambling in a safe way.

"The last thing I want to see is those who are enjoying gambling in a safe manner, in a way they have for many years, being impacted," he said at one point. But what meaning can these words have when people are already being asked to share financial documentation with their bookmaker? When big-spending owners are already on their way out of racing because of affordability checks?

Rome is already burning. Meanwhile, politicians engage in a bit of relaxed chat about whether the city needs another coat of benzene.

Stuart Andrew: a soothing presence – if you're willing to be soothed

My main thought about Rhodes was that he is not One Of Us, which I realise will hardly be news to those who have closely followed his pronouncements since he took over at the Gambling Commission a couple of years ago.

I remember interviewing one of his predecessors, Sarah Harrison, six years ago and being really encouraged by her interest in standing up for punters. She had met with representative bodies, engaged with projects focused on potentially unfair terms and conditions and spoke of how this was all a natural fit with her previous work in the areas of consumer protection and empowerment.

Rhodes is a different chief executive. Issues of gambling harm appear to dominate his thoughts. Those of us who have had a whale of a time betting on horses for decades with no negative consequences for anybody take up very little of his bandwidth, even though we are directly affected by his actions.

Nor does the great sport we all love encroach much upon his thoughts. Asked what impact the government's white paper on gambling would have on racing, Rhodes answered: "That would be for the department [DCMS]. It's the department's white paper."

In other words, someone else has picked the target and he is simply lining up the cannon. He's been given a mission and he intends to see it through to the satisfaction of those who entrusted him with it, which was doubtless how it was with his previous gigs at Swansea University, the DVLA, the Food Standards Agency and the Department of Work and Pensions.

Does he care whether a punter can get a £50 win single on at the advertised price? Whether payout will be prompt if the beast in question should actually win? Do you think he enjoys putting Paul Kealy's selections in a trixie of a Saturday morning?

In fairness, he is undoubtedly closer to the average punter than a couple of MPs on the DCMS select committee. One of those suggested that betting four times a month was an indicator of risk while another argued the thresholds for triggering checks should be even lower than those currently envisaged – as a reminder, those include triggers of a £125 net loss over a month or £500 over a year, which isn't even Starbucks money to some people.

That shows which way the wind is blowing. Andrew and Rhodes don't have to be experts on gambling, they're organisational guys who have been called upon because a consensus has emerged among our ruling class that 'something must be done' about gambling.

They will ensure no-one can criticise the government for failing to act. Negative consequences will be for someone else to deal with, once they've moved on to the next stage of their portfolio careers.

They're not equipped for detailed discussions about possible alternative methods of achieving the white paper's goals. They're pressing ahead and will do so until someone higher up the food chain tells them to stop. That's the massive outsider which, for many of us, is the only runner left to cheer for.

• To complete the Gambling Commission's consultation on affordability checks, visit racingpost.com/consultation and follow the instructions.
• The Racing Post also wants to hear from you: What has been your experience of affordability checks since the white paper was published at the end of April, and what do you think of the government's proposals? Have affordability checks affected your betting behaviour?
• It's a chance for your voice to be heard. Email the Racing Post at editor@racingpost.com with the subject 'Affordability checks' to share your experiences, your thoughts about the government's proposals, and your contact details.

Read more on the subject of affordability checks:

'Not what's happening in the real world' - scepticism over minister's claims on affordability checks 

You have told them to 'butt out' - now the government and Gambling Commission must respond 

Affordability checks won't happen unless frictionless, vows minister 

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