Feetham raises gambling tax concerns as Badenoch pledges support for Gibraltar

The Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry, Nigel Feetham, raised the impact of increases in UK gambling taxation on Gibraltar’s gaming sector with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch during her visit to the Gibraltar stand at the party’s conference in Birmingham this week.

Mrs Badenoch, the UK Leader of the Opposition, said Gibraltar could always count on Conservative Party support and that she would love to visit the Rock.

Mr Feetham thanked her for the party’s support for Gibraltar over many years, both in government and in opposition.

“It was a pleasure to welcome Kemi Badenoch to our stand,” Mr Feetham said.

“Gibraltar has counted on the friendship of the Conservative Party for decades, and her words will be well received at home.”

“We would be delighted to welcome her to Gibraltar, to meet our people and to see for herself how the new arrangements at the frontier are working in practice.”

Mrs Badenoch was accompanied by her husband, Hamish Badenoch.

Gibraltar’s Representative to the United Kingdom, Jonathan Scott, and former Conservative MP Sir Bob Neill were also present.

Mr Feetham discussed the gambling tax issue further that evening during a dinner with the Shadow Minister for Gambling, Louie French, representatives of the Betting and Gaming Council and other Conservative MPs.

The discussions focused on the challenges facing Gibraltar’s gaming sector and the consequences of changes to the UK gambling tax regime, providing an opportunity to raise those concerns directly with UK policymakers and industry representatives.

At the annual Gibraltar Government reception during the conference, the Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Joseph Garcia, thanked the party for its longstanding support and said Gibraltar’s British sovereignty was not negotiable.