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Lord Foster of Bath (LD)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 6 January 2026

Debate

Sentencing Bill

Contribution

My Lords, I thank the Minister for what have been very constructive conversations on these issues, both with him and his officials. In light of what he said, I hope he will be willing to sign up as a member of Peers for Gambling Reform. I also thank him for the incredibly generous compliments he gave me at the start of his speech. It was the former Prime Minister Lord Palmerston who said, “Flattery is the foot soldier of diplomacy”. However, feeling as strongly as I do about these issues, I have to admit that flattery alone would not have persuaded me to give up my campaign to see gambling harm given a far greater priority in the criminal justice system. But beyond flattery, the Minister has given a very personal and powerful commitment to seek to achieve that which I have been trying to seek as well—indeed, he has perhaps gone even further. I am enormously grateful for that, and, in the light of it, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

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