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MP tries his hand at bingo calling
IT was a full house as MP David Miliband tried his luck as a caller at a South Tyneside bingo hall.
The Foreign Secretary had been invited to Mecca Bingo in South Shields yesterday by chief executive Ian Burke, as part of the company's campaign for an end to tax discrimination in bingo.
Currently, bingo halls pay 15 per cent VAT and then a further 15 per cent gross profit charge is placed on their revenues.
Mr Burke said: "I invited Mr Miliband to hear a small presentation about the double charges bingo halls have to pay.
"At the moment many halls are suffering and have been closed due to numerous factors, including the recession, and the double charges aren't helping.
"I thought this would be a good opportunity for him to meet with the people from his constituency, and see just how important bingo is to them."
After the talk, Mr Miliband had a go at drawing the numbers in a free game for members, and impressed the venue's resident caller Blake Robson – Britain's top bingo caller.
He said: "I thought his efforts were fantastic – I think I might have to turn to politics and he can be a caller!"
Mr Miliband said: "I was delighted to visit Mecca Bingo. A number of important issues have been raised, and I will be taking these back to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
"However, I think I'll be sticking to my day job and leaving the calling to the experts."
The South Shields MP isn't the only political figure to have visited the hall, in Dean Road, which first opened in 1962.
Would-be Tory MP Karen Allen, Conservative Parliamentary candidate for South Shields, also dropped in recently.
She was invited to visit by Dale Atkinson, the club's operations manager, who gave her a tour and discussed some of the problems facing the industry.
After taking the opportunity to call a game, she said: "Since 2003, almost 5,000 jobs have been lost nationally in the bingo industry and more clubs look set to close.
"Bingo halls are struggling to stay profitable, and being taxed at 30 per cent is not helping – it's adding to the strain."
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Weather for South Shields
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -2 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South
