Tory Bingo Overshadows Budget Changes
Published On 20th March 2014 - This Content May Have Expired.
Yesterday's budget was a big winner for land based bingo when Chancellor, George Osbourne, slashed the tax on bingo halls from 20% to 10%. The boost will help preserve jobs and hopefully fuel the development of playing the game offline. Rank, who are behind Mecca Bingo, have already announced the opening of three new locations in light of the announcement.
Whilst this should have been the big bingo news story of the day, Grant Shapps saw that it was quickly pushed down the agenda. Shapps, Conservative MP for Welwyn Hatfield, tweeted "#budget2014 cuts bingo & beer tax helping hardworking people do more of the things they enjoy" which has rapidly become seen as a condescending attack on ordinary working folk by someone from a privileged background.
#budget2014 cuts bingo & beer tax helping hardworking people do more of the things they enjoy. RT to spread the word pic.twitter.com/5vbL7RDAg5
— Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) March 19, 2014We have to agree that the comments are idiotic but we would suggest that Shapps' views are not too dissimilar to those portrayed by The Sun on their front page. The Sun are claiming this is a budget for Sun Readers! Shapp is claiming it's a budget for hardworking people. The only difference is that some people don't like that comment come from a "Tory Toff" whilst others may not like it coming from The Sun.
WIN-GO! A Budget for Sun readers! #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/30Uf1qT4LD
— The Sun (@TheSunNewspaper) March 19, 2014The other big difference is that The Sun's frontpage hasn't been turned into an internet MEME. A website called Tory Bingo has even been set up so that you can create your own version of Shapp's tweet. Here are just some of the ones we've spotted.
I say, you there! #torybingo #Budget2014 #bingogate pic.twitter.com/vZNtDLI3dB
— Duncan Hothersall (@dhothersall) March 19, 2014In case you missed it, here's a more honest Tory poster #Torybingo pic.twitter.com/q0Lb0hyytl
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) March 20, 2014However our favourite #torybingo tweet comes from LankyLamb who tweeted this game of Tory Bingo taking place with David Cameron and co.
@davecameroon Who won? I hope you had a gambling licence! pic.twitter.com/jYrFdlkVCc
— LankyLamb (@lankylamb) March 20, 2014Sadly Tory Bingo will now rumble on apace for a few days until the next embarrassing gaff from Conservative MPs. The easiest way to deflect the damage would be simply for David Cameron to tweet a photo of himself on the phone again! In all seriousness though, this incident has overshadowed an important budget change for bingo halls - now if only they'd also look into the point of consumption act there might be a few more cheers to be had.
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