Good causes would gain nearly £200m every year from Tory changes to National Lottery

As reported in today's Daily Mail, the Conservatives wish to reform the National Lottery so that it returns to its original purpose of only funding good, voluntary causes.  During the Labour years £3.8bn has been taken away from good causes to fund politicians' pet projects.

David Cameron and Shadow Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt will promise a National Lottery Independence Bill that will end political inteference in the Lottery.  Three measures should ensure that nearly £200m extra every year will find its way to good causes:

• An end to funding politically-determined projects.  £100m is currently denied to good causes every year.
• 15% of lottery good cause money is currently assumed by the administration costs of the distributors. A new cap on these costs would release up to £36m for good causes.
• New tax treatments would produce another £40m or so for good causes without affecting Treasury revenues.

Comments

[Tony Makara]

I agree 100% with this. I'd also like to see the lottery rollover end and in a week where there is no winner the revenue should be divided up and given to front-line charities such as hospices etc.

[George Hinton]

Excellent proposal.

The public's perception of the Lottery good causes is, that it has become a kleptocracy for NuLab.

[Bill]

Tony

There are too many charities and too many whose actions don't resonate with me.

[Malcolm Dunn]

Sounds a very good idea to me.

[James Maskell]

Despite it being very well known that the National Lottery is not to be used to fund government spending, the Government have gone and done exactly that. Its not a particularly well kept secret that that has been the case and its about time the truth came out.

[Dale]

"I'd also like to see the lottery rollover end and in a week where there is no winner the revenue should be divided up and given to front-line charities such as hospices etc."

But if you did that then nobody would buy tickets. People don't play the lottery because of the 'good causes', they play because they have a chance of becoming much richer. If you spent a lower proportion of the revenue on good causes then the good causes would end up getting more money in real terms because more tickets would be purchased.

[Tony Makara]

Dale, yes, I see what you mean, but I think the British public would be sympathetic to the idea of money going to front-line charities during a week where there is no big prize winner. Such a stipulation would not alter their chances of winning each week.

[Bexie]

Gordo and the Gang have earned the National Lottery the nickname "moron tax"

We should get it back to the original purpose of funding small local projects rather than it being looted to fund Zanulab favoured projects.

[Fred Luke]

This is not a new story didn't Hugo Swire and Mark Field advocate returning the National Lottery back to the original good causes.

[George Smith]

Yes I think that's right. It was Hugo Swire who got this through the Shadow Cabinet where it met with some opposition. It's a really good idea.

[John Leonard]

Excellent proposal. An essential step in the right direction!