Tories go to war over lottery funding

Jeremy Hunt, the Shadow Culture Secretary, has been alleging pro-Labour politicisation of lottery funding. A new Parliamentary answer gives him further amunition.

According to Gerry Sutcliffe, Sports Minister, eight of the nine people who declare a political interest on lottery distribution boards (eg the Big Lottery Fund) do so for Labour party. The ninth declares political activity "independent of a political party". So no Tories or Lib Dems, which is bound to rankle.

This comes days after Sir Clive Booth, head of the Big Lottery Fund, said that the Tories were 'hostile to the voluntary sector', prompting a Tory complaint. The Tories also say money is more likely to go to Labour areas - distributors say resources are directed at less well-off areas and overlap is not deliberate.

There are probably few votes in it, but from Hunt's point of view it's great dog whistle politics. It plays well with the right who see it as a thin end of the wedge, using it to justify the privatisation of assets like the BBC. But some (who have their own interests) question whether the basic premise is that worrying.