Lisa Nandy Picked to Lead the DCMS

The newly-elected government of British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has selected practiced Labour Party politician Lisa Nandy to serve as Secretary of State for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The Department oversees the regulation and policy framework for all types of gambling activities in the UK, both land-based casinos and online casinos.

The Starmer-led Labour Party won an enormous 238-seat majority at Thursday’s general election and quickly set about naming the most senior members of its cabinet, including the nation’s first female Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves.

Proficient Politician

This process has now seen Nandy appointed Secretary of State for the DCMS, where she is to lead a body with direct responsibility over the nation’s gambling industry. The 44-year-old has been the MP for Wigan since 2010 and possesses a large amount of experience after serving as a shadow minister across several government departments, including the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.

Born in Manchester, Nandy most recently worked as Shadow Cabinet Minister for International Development but is now  in charge of a broad brief running from casino gaming and press regulation to football governance and the funding of grassroots sports. 

As if all of this wasn’t enough, the former London councillor could also be called upon to help implement the numerous changes recommended by last year’s Gambling White Paper.

Surprising Selection

Nandy had not been due to take over the reins of the DCMS but was picked after the department’s most recent shadow minister, Bristol Central MP Thangam Debbonaire, lost her seat to the Green Party. Despite this unexpected turn of events, the Newcastle University graduate took to X, formerly Twitter, to declare she is now looking forward to serving in a government with a commitment to restoring politics ‘as a force for good’.

“From rugby league to Royal Opera, our cultural and sporting heritage runs through our towns, villages and cities and is one of our country’s greatest assets,” Nandy wrote. 

“It is an unbelievable privilege to take on the role of secretary of state and the hard work begins today." added Nandy.

Vital Vacancy

Although Nandy is now in office, the new Starmer government has yet to choose a permanent gaming minister, which is classified as a junior post within the DCMS. Officially known as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Gambling, and Civil Society and Minister for Equalities, this post was most recently held by Conservative Party MP Stuart Andrew and exercises authority over the regulation of British gambling, sports betting, horse racing, and lotteries.

Barnsley South MP Stephanie Peacock has been widely tipped to take on this job after being named to the shadow role last autumn following an analogous stint in veterans’ affairs. While it was widely forecast that the former teacher would lose her seat at Thursday’s general election, the 38-year-old Labour Party campaigner ultimately overcame a strong challenge from the right-wing Reform UK party to hold on by just 4,748 votes.