Tory MP is pro-touts

[Kahnee]

Residents in Bradford would rather police solved crime than focused on ticket touts, an MP said last night.

Shipley MP Philip Davies said he believed police had enough “bread and butter” issues to deal with, without additional duties should the Government legislate on the issue.

Speaking in a debate on the Culture Media and Sports Select Committee report, he urged against closing down the secondary market.

He argued it gave people a choice whether they could buy a ticket from a tout if circumstances changed and could previously not attend the event, and it was the buyer’s choice whether to pay the asking price. And he said his constituents would not want “acres of police time taken up” with enforcing it.

The Tory MP said: “It is like buying a house. When you sell it it is at a profit. If I buy something whether it be a book or ticket, it is mine and if I want to sell it, it is no business of anyone else, especially the Government. There are lots of things that sell Limited Editions, including handbags that all sell out within hours and then are on ebay at a huge price. It does not happen just with tickets.”

Mr Davies also said if sporting events were so concerned with ticket touting they could put measures in place including giving refunds on tickets, distributing the sale of tickets over a period of time not all on sale at one, or opening ticket lines 24-hours a day to allow everyone the chance to buy one if they want.

Earlier this year the committee’s report rejected calls for a ban on internet ticket touts but criticised the large sums being made by firms and individuals selling tickets for popular events online at huge mark-ups.

The report concluded that legislation should remain “a last resort” and encouraged moves towards negotiating a voluntary solution. It is thought up to 40% of tickets are now being sold on via the internet, making around £200 million a year - although the MPs said more evidence was needed of the true scale.

Sports minister and Bradford MP Gerry Sutcliffe answering the three-hour debate said: “It is not in the interest of stopping the second market whatever the event. We want to see tickets getting to the fans and we want to see innovative ways of how this can be delivered.”

This week ministers ruled out new laws against ticket touts instead calling for promoters to agree to a voluntary code.

[John am Rhein]

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[Gilps]

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