# Tracey Couch resigns as Minister for Civil Society

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2018/11/02/tracey-couch-resigns-minister-civil-society/
- Published: 2018-11-02T09:36:05+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**The Minister for Sport, Civil Society, and Loneliness, Tracey Crouch has resigned
her position in protest of the government’s delaying of changes to gambling laws.**

Crouch published a copy of her resignation letter on Twitter yesterday (1 November).
In it, she says that the Prime Minister’s support for a reduction in the stake of
fixed odds betting terminals had been welcome but that the subsequent decision to
delay implementing these changes until October next year is, she feels, inexcusable:

> “…two people will tragically take their lives every day due to gambling related
> problems and for that reason as much as any other I believe this delay is unjustifiable.”
> 
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She goes on to say that she cannot see any reason why implementation should not 
come in earlier than October 2019, when the alignment of the stake reduction with
an increase in remote gaming duty was a condition put on by the Treasury to provide
fiscal neutrality but is not a technical necessity.

 

> It is with great sadness I have resigned from one of the best jobs in Government.
> Thank you so much for all the very kind messages of support I have received throughout
> the day. Politicians come and go but principles stay with us forever. [pic.twitter.com/rD8bEbCQcK](https://t.co/rD8bEbCQcK)
> — Tracey Crouch (@tracey_crouch) [November 1, 2018](https://twitter.com/tracey_crouch/status/1058053597399789568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

She also thanks the ‘amazing team’ that have helped her in her three and a half 
years in the post and states her pride in what has been achieved in that time, including
the sports strategy, the gambling review, the Civil Society strategy, and the loneliness
strategy.

Commenting on her resignation, Sir Stuart Etherington, [NCVO](https://www.ncvo.org.uk/)
Chief Executive, said:

> “Tracey has been a passionate and inspiring minister for civil society. Her strong
> leadership in creating a cross-government civil society strategy demonstrated 
> a real commitment to supporting the work of charities across the country. She 
> made a point of always trying to work in partnership with charities and in doing
> so gained a great deal of good will. Her work to help improve safeguarding standards
> was exemplary of her thoughtful and constructive approach. She leaves a strong
> legacy and we will play our role in ensuring momentum continues in implementing
> the important strategy she put in place.”

The [Institute of Fundraising](https://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/home/)‘
s Peter Lewis also expressed his sorrow at her resignation:

https://twitter.com/piterk68/status/1058050644844691456

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