Matthew Pimm

[Dimitri @DimitriBatrouni]

Plaid Cymru want to close M4 junctions in Newport:
❌ J27 High Cross: full closure
❌ J26 Malpas: east slips
❌ J25 Caerleon: east slips
Traffic chaos for residents, and the report admits worse air quality and noise. I'm totally opposed.
Page 39: https://t.co/dILckHwuWS

[Paul Beck (Spectre) @PaulBeck3001]

@jranoyes @mattzarb @WillProchaska

I’ve now challenged you publicly more than once to an open debate with @DanielWaugh6, @chrisgambler247 and I.

So far, silence.

I genuinely don’t understand why.

You are prepared to present your arguments to Government, Ministers, Parliament, the media and any audience overwhelmingly sympathetic to your position.

So why aren’t you prepared to defend exactly the same arguments when informed people who disagree with you are sitting across the table?

This isn’t an ambush. It’s three against three. Equal time. An Independent Chair. Sources available. Every claim open to challenge. Including ours.

Let’s put the statistics on the table.

Let’s test the 1.3/1.4 million figure, gambling-related suicide claims, advertising, the black market, affordability, economic modelling and the consequences for British racing.

And yes, let’s also discuss the questions that seem considerably less welcome:

Who funds whom?

Which supposedly separate voices share funders, organisations, advisers or infrastructure?

Which people advocating regulatory change also have commercial interests in businesses operating in markets affected by that change?

Who is benefiting financially now?

Who could benefit from future regulation or Government contracts?

And are all of those interests being made sufficiently clear when Government and Ministers are being influenced?

These are legitimate questions of public interest. They are questions, not allegations.

If the evidence supporting your movement is as overwhelming as you repeatedly suggest, a public debate should be an opportunity, not a threat.

You get to challenge everything we say too.

If our arguments are wrong, expose them.

If our interpretation of the statistics is wrong, demonstrate it.

If our concerns about funding, relationships and commercial interests are misplaced, explain why.

But defend your position in a room you don’t control.

That’s the challenge.

@nickluck would, in my view, be an excellent independent chair. If you disagree, propose somebody equally independent.

If the participants don���t suit you, say why.

If the date doesn’t suit you, propose another.

If the format doesn’t suit you, suggest a fair alternative.

But what isn’t convincing is repeatedly seeking to influence public policy while declining to even to respond to an invitation to have the evidence tested publicly by informed opponents.

@jranoyes @mattzarb @WillProchaska Will you have an open and fair debate with us? Yes or No?

You talk about evidence.

Let’s test it.

You talk about transparency.

Let’s practise it.

You want Government to listen.

Show Government that your arguments can withstand people answering back.

The invitation remains open. Have the courtesy of responding.

[Paul Beck (Spectre) @PaulBeck3001]

https://t.co/zy7QAkfBL9

[David Buttress @davidjusteat]

A huge thank you to @DimitriBatrouni @NewportCouncil and also / importantly to the people who have long supported @rodneyparade @JBryantWales @jessicamordenmp @matthewevansnpt .We look forward to turning this amazing site into everything it should be and was always intended to be

[Paul Beck (Spectre) @PaulBeck3001]

If you bet, like racing, or work in an industry that depends on gambling, you need to understand what’s happening.

Some of what is sitting there in the public record deserves far more attention.

Read it. Check it for yourself. And please retweet it. https://t.co/Ec4ygTeDRb

[Matthew Pimm @MatthewPimm]

@PaulBeck3001 @mattzarb Well said Paul 👏👏👏

[Matthew Pimm @MatthewPimm]

@AlistairCarns This all sounds really positive and constructive. Keep doing what you are doing Al, it’s noticed and appreciated by grass root parties members like myself 👏

[Matthew Pimm @MatthewPimm]

@GingerJoeRacing Any idea who the owner/owners are of Mifa D’Airy

[Matthew Pimm @MatthewPimm]

@GingerJoeRacing Nap: Old Park Star - Supreme
Next Best: Supreme West - Pertemps
E/W Banker: Keep Him Company - Bumper
E/W Longshot: Kalansky - Albert Bartlett

[Paul Beck (Spectre) @PaulBeck3001]

I'm mindful that I haven't been particularly active on X recently, so it would be great if everyone could repost this to get it out as wide as possible please. Thanks.

[Matthew Pimm @MatthewPimm]

@OddsCheckrTrack @DarylCarter7 I think Daryl is a great tipster, full throttle, no braking & balls out effort every week. DC doesn’t duck or dive, he’s in the centre of ring swinging. Keep your chin tucked in DC & keep up the good fight, you’ll be back in the plus soon enough champ. Go get them Carter 👏👏👏

[Matthew Pimm @MatthewPimm]

@Nigel_Farage What is your solution Nigel? Care to offer a policy or new initiative to reverse student debt? You’ve highlighted the problem, criticised previous governments….what’s your solution?

[Matthew Pimm @MatthewPimm]

@lembitopik Lembit I used to feel sorry for you but you are infact a total doughnut and moron. This is just guff and nonsense, you should have stuck with the liberals, most people tolerated you there but you’re losing traction on the Liz Truss ski slope to eternal
stupidity

[Matthew Pimm @MatthewPimm]

@reformparty_uk Based on what? They have zero experience of running anything apart from a small party of MP’s and a few councils

[Matthew Pimm @MatthewPimm]

@RacingPost One of the first horses that caught my attention when I started following jumps racing, a really exciting horse to watch, full of energy and excitement, a joy to watch and a genuine winner. RIP Lough Derg

[Matthew Pimm @MatthewPimm]

@MarinaPurkiss @JeremyVineOn5 Brilliant Marina as always 👏

[Paul Beck (Spectre) @PaulBeck3001]

Not sure where to begin with this… but here goes.
Prior to the Cheltenham Festival many of you will remember I did a Podcast (The Annual Naiad), which can be found here from 3m40s in:
https://t.co/Mejc9QXajz

In the podacast I asked the 1.4k people who watched the Podcast to do the Mikey O’Sullivan Marine Nationale/Jazzy Matty double and to donate 10% of those winnings to Mikey’s family. I myself did the same bet live on the Podcast to camera with @BetMGMUK. The bet was to return £10k, and I pledged to donate all of the returns to the pot.

When it came to the Festival the Racing Gods were smiling, and both horses won, and I immediately went to my BetMGM account but couldn’t find the bet. Ironically BetMGM were sponsoring at Cheltenham that day, so I went to seek one of their Representatives out. Sadly they had all decided to abandon ship well before racing ended that day, and I couldn’t find anyone to speak to.

On reflection, the only thing that could possible have happened was that the bet was referred to a Trader, and said Trader must have rejected the bet while I continued with the Podcast completely oblivious. All well and good you’d think because there should be a log of the event. However, after some considerable chasing through racing contacts to try to get to someone senior in their PR or Commercial Team I drew a bland and started the onerous procedure of trying to do it through the customer service call centre. Actually the front line were quite helpful, if a bit slow. I was however told that any records of a transaction like this disappear after 14 days, and by that stage 14 days had already passed. They would however raise it to someone more senior. Finally after many weeks and a couple more interactions, I’ve now finally been told that they can’t find a record and won’t do anything. Not even a gesture of goodwill donated to the fund.

All I had asked was, that given the very specific circumstances, the fact that it’s been recorded on a podcast, and it is for the most worthy of causes, that they may want to make a donation anyway. Which in the grand scheme is absolutely nothing to @BetMGMUK. Just for their PR budget it’s a drop in the ocean, and would have been very good for them to be seen to do something. Not least because of the circumstances with regards how it happened, and on the day they were at their highest profile, having spent a fortune on Marketing, including sending people for all expenses paid trips to Vegas.

So, despite it being on video. Despite the context. Despite the cause. Despite them sponsoring on the day. Despite the fortune they spent on Marketing and PR on that day. BetMGM have said No Donation. No Help. Case Closed.

I’m not one for drama—but this has floored me. Not just because of the lost bet. But because a firm making millions from racing, on the very day they were sponsoring, won’t even consider a goodwill gesture. And for something that means so much to so many people in Racing. I'm just appalled that someone @BetMGMUK can't see what the right thing was to do, irrespective of the positive publicity they could have generated by doing it.

So why am I writing this now:

https://t.co/3aaJWqa2SC make everyone in racing circles aware what has happened.
https://t.co/8j4Y9FNcjh that someone in the BetMGM PR Team reads this and either has the courage to contact me to discuss it, or even better decides to act and do something positive.
https://t.co/H3QhnnLeoC that those of you in the Racing Media may try to step in, both by using your influence, your contacts in the betting industry, and will retweet to your followers who may do likewise.
https://t.co/lQGqIQvrkk that those of you that do ‘Racing Twitter’ will retweet this tagging @BetMGM in to increase the likelihood of getting a response from someone senior in the business.
https://t.co/DsN5kxWFdH that those of you that pledged to donate will still do so https://t.co/zRShD6bEob
6.Because some of you that didn’t watch the Podcast may want to donate anyway
https://t.co/59CjlKBiVD that if BetMGM don’t decide to do the right thing, then perhaps another Bookmaker or Organisation may wish to do so. And may do so anyway.

Let’s show BetMGM just how much Racing, the Racing Media, and Racing Social Media care. Could I ask that if you’ve read this that you retweet it as far and wide, and as often as possible, and if you don’t mind, several times over the next week. Each time tagging in l until someone senior decides to get in touch to discuss the decision someone in their organisation has made.

Your help with this would be very much appreciated.

Paul

[Matthew Pimm @MatthewPimm]

@PaulBeck3001 That’s very poor by Bet MGM, you would expect them to at least acknowledge it and respond. Shame on them.

[Matthew Pimm @MatthewPimm]

Day 1 Selections Cheltenham Festival:
13.20: Kopek Des Bordes, William Munny & Karbau
14.00: NB
14.40: Henry’s Friend, Whistle Stop Tour, Famous Bridge
15.20: Joyuse, Jade De Grugy
16.00: NB
16.40: Total Look, Wendrock, Quantock Hills
17.20: Transmission, Will Do, Duffle Coat

[Matthew Pimm @MatthewPimm]

@JakePriceRacing Top work Jake 👏👏👏👏