Nadine Dorries to Lead DCMS
Nadine Dorries has been appointed as the new culture secretary for the British government, taking over from Oliver Dowden. The change of leadership comes as part of the prime minister’s far-reaching cabinet reshuffle, which took place on September 15th. As leader of the DCMS, Dorries will now be overseeing the government review of the 2005 Gambling Act.
The new culture secretary will be overseeing the government’s Gambling Act Review. ©12019/Pixabay
MP, Author and Media Personality
Former health minister Nadine Dorries has been named as the new culture secretary, replacing Oliver Dowden in the role. Dorries is the Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire and is a well-known, and sometimes divisive, figure in British politics. She is the tenth culture secretary to be appointed in as many years.
Dorries was born in Liverpool in 1957, and worked as a nurse before making her political debut in 2000. Before being elected as MP in the 2005 general election, she worked as a special adviser to former shadow chancellor, Oliver Letwin.
Dorries has been a vocal proponent of Brexit, and has had some uneasy relationships with party leaders. While she clashed with David Cameron and George Osborne, she has remained a close ally of Boris Johnson. She also attempted to have John Bercow removed as Speaker of the House of Commons.
Alongside her political career, Dorries has established herself as a successful author. In 2013, she signed a six-figure publishing deal to write a trilogy about her childhood experiences. Despite receiving largely negative reviews, her first publication “The Four Streets” became a number one best-selling e-book. Dorries has now authored more than fifteen books, and is keen to publish more.
The Tory MP has also become a familiar face on television as a result of her many media appearances. In 2012, she starred in ITV’s “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here”. After agreeing to fly out to Australia to compete in the reality TV show, she was suspended from the party, as she failed to inform the whip that she would be absent from parliament.
Her appearance did not go down well with her constituents either, who took to local radio to complain. Dorries was the first contestant to be voted off the show that season, spending only ten days in the jungle. She returned as an independent MP, regaining the Conservative whip the following year.
Range of Responsibilities
While Nadine Dorries’ appointment to leader of the DCMS may have come as a surprise, the politician has taken an active interest in culture and the arts throughout her career. As the new Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Dorries will have wide range of responsibilities to oversee.
These include arts and culture, broadcasting, creative industries, libraries, museums and galleries, tourism and more. The UK’s gambling industry will also come under the remit of her responsibilities, as gambling, racing and the National Lottery all fall under the banner of the DCMS.
For the racing industry, Dorries’ appointment is good news. She has been an outspoken supporter of British racing, and was previously a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Racing and Bloodstock Industries Group. She has also been seen at top racing events, such as the Royal Ascot and Qipco Champions Day.
Her views on gambling are less obvious, but regardless she will oversee the remainder of the government’s Gambling Act Review. Ministers are in the process of updating the 2005 Gambling Act, to bring it up to date with the digital age. The review was launched last December, and a white paper is expected to be published before the end of the year.
Some big changes are expected, and it has been reported that a ban on gambling firms sponsoring the shirts of football clubs could be imposed. Issues such as affordability checks, advertising and VIP schemes are also hot topics under discussion.
The DCMS is managing the Fourth Competition for the National Lottery license, which has been delayed due to the pandemic. It has also been announced that Data and Media Minister John Whittingdale, who oversaw the department’s gambling reforms, has been removed, although his replacement has not yet been named.
Cabinet Reshuffle
The Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire has been welcomed to her new post by leaders from the gambling industry. The Betting and Gaming Council, which represents the UK’s casinos, bookmakers and online operators, has tweeted its congratulations to her on her new appointment.
Led by Michael Dugher, himself a former Labour MP for Barnsley East, the BGC expressed that it is looking forward to working with Nadine Dorries on driving big changes and higher standards on safer gambling.
The industry body also took the opportunity to thank former leader of the DCMS, Oliver Dowden for his work. The BGC described Dowden as “always willing to engage with the industry”. Dowden has headed the DCMS since February 2020, when he replaced Baroness Morgan.
During his time at the DCMS, Dowden negotiated a £1.57 billion support package to aid the arts sector in its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. It has been reported that Dowden was replaced just 45 minutes before he was due to address the British television industry on privatizing Channel 4.
Just one of the many side effects of the surprise reshuffle, delegates were left in the dark as to who would deliver the speech on Zoom until former Culture Secretary John Whittingdale appeared on screen. Dowden has now been moved on to the role of co-chairman of the Conservative Party, taking over from Amanda Milling, who has been sacked.
Dowden will work alongside Ben Elliot, who has served as co-chairman of the Conservative Party since July 2019. Dowden now serves as a Minister without Portfolio and has been the MP for Hertsmere since 2015. The Daily Telegraph has reported that in his new role, Dowden has told staff at Conservative Campaign Headquarters to get ready for a general election, which could come in twenty months.
