Baroness Hilary Armstrong, former Labour Member of Parliament and representative of the GambleAware Board of Trustees has stepped down from her position as part of one of the UK’s leading responsible gambling organizations to pursue a role in the UK Government.
Baroness Armstrong joined the GambleAware Board of Trustees in 2021, and since then, has spent more than three years with the organization vigorously fighting battling addiction and gambling harm in the UK.
As of now, the former Labour MP will move forward in her career and is set up to become Chair of the UK Government’s newly introduced Digital Inclusion Action Committee.
This new Government branch will be tasked with working closely with the UK Government’s Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, having the task of increasing the importance of digital inclusion at all government levels due to its influence on the ability of citizens to take up digital services and social inclusion.
According to Armstrong’s official UK Government biography, the new committee will function as an external advisory body made up of local and national experts to steer, help, and scrutinize the work of the UK Government in diminishing digital exclusion.
Professor Siân Meryl Griffiths CBE, Chair of Trustees at GambleAware, expressed confidence in Armstrong’s ability to lead the Digital Inclusion Action Committee and expressed gratitude to the Baroness for her dedication and hard work to battling gambling addiction in the UK.
As Chair of Trustees for GambleAware, I send my sincere congratulations to Baroness Hilary Armstrong on her appointment as Chair of the Government’s newly formed Digital Inclusion Action Committee. This is a vastly important role and one to which Baroness Armstrong will bring immense expertise and insight. I would like to take this opportunity to share my most heartfelt thanks to Hilary for her hard work and commitment to addressing gambling harm since she joined GambleAware’s Board in 2021. While we appreciate that she will be unable to continue in her role as trustee for GambleAware, we are pleased to have her continued interest and support in addressing gambling harms. Hilary has had a significant impact on the charity over the years.
*Interesting fact: Baroness Armstrong is a former Labour MP serving from 1987 to 2010, previously being Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Minister for Social Exclusion under Prime Minister Tony Blair.
This development for GambleAware comes after the recent report issued by the organization in November 2024 where the responsible gambling advocate states that the UK trails behind Europe when it comes to regulating marketing in gambling.
During the same month, GambleAware welcomed the new UK mandatory gambling tax, further highlighting the importance of designating a prevention commissioner to ensure gambling harm-related issues continue to be addressed.
