National Lottery operator Camelot has ended a two month search for an
in-house lobbyist to handle government relations and address MP’s
concerns following negative publicity.
Richard Brown, deputy director general of the Association of the British
Chambers of Commerce (ABCC), has been named as Camelot’s new head of
government affairs. He will liaise with Parliament, the Government and
other bodies including lottery watchdog Oflot.
Reporting to director of communications, David Rigg, Brown will also
oversee the activities of The Communication Group, hired by Camelot in
August to strengthen its lobbying power. ‘The vital message to be
understood is that Camelot’s job is to run the National Lottery and not
to distribute the money,’ said Brown. ‘Camelot makes a convenient
scapegoat for other bodies, but it’s not right to tar it with the same
brush.’
Brown, will have to tackle a number of controversial issues in his role
at Camelot including accusations that the Lottery funds ‘elitist’ arts
projects and concern that it is fostering addictive gambling habits.
In October the lottery came under fire from MPs critical of the way
charity money was distributed, while defeated Camelot rival Richard
Branson slammed the organisation for making ‘obscene’ profits.
