Anger over ticket touts in the UK
02/05/2007 |
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Shaun Woodward, Tory MP turned New Labour minister, has managed to enrage sports governing bodies and cause disquiet inside his own ministry with recent comments on the subject of ticket touting. Woodward, who crossed the floor of the house in 1999 to contest a safe Labour seat and become minister for creative industries and tourism, said this month that touting "was not a problem" for the majority of ticket buyers.
This appears to clash with the government's stated position and so angered the England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive, David Collier, that he commissioned research to reveal what attitudes are.
The poll results, forwarded to Tessa Jowell's office, show that nearly 60% of people view touts and online ticket auctions unfavourably, evidence Collier believes proves that Woodward is out of step with his department.
With London 2012 legislation outlawing the touting of Olympic tickets, governing bodies are seeking similar restrictions on the resale of their tickets. However, the government wants to avoid legislation. One option is to adapt the system of listing, currently used to determine which events must be broadcast on terrestrial TV, to also protect sports from touting.
The DCMS select committee announced yesterday that it will examine the issues in a full inquiry.
(Source: Guardian.co.uk)
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