It's just the ticket

Record campaign pays off for fans as touts and resale platforms finally face government action

- BY MARK McGIVERN

TICKET touts - and the dodgy platforms that help them fleece fans - are finally facing a major government clampdown.

The key focus of a UK-wide consultation announced today will be to establish a resale price cap - which the Record called for to curb the worst excesses of the scalpers.

The previous Tory government refused to deliver any knockout blow to touts who have ripped off fans for decades. But now Labour has taken the battle to stop the touts a huge step forward.

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray promised the action that will emerge from the consultation will be firm and decisive. He said: "The Daily Record has been campaigning on ticket prices for years and, as far back as 2017 called for a resale cap of 10 per cent above face value prices.

"I want to thank the paper for continuing to highlight this issue and assure people that, as the Prime Minister promised before last summer's election, we will deliver on these anti-touting laws."

The consultation announced by the departments for Business and Trade and Culture, Media & Sport will also examine what can be done to limit "dynamic pricing" - where Ticketmaster combines with big acts like Oasis to hike prices.

The crackdown follows a pledge by Keir Starmer to stop greedy touts from killing access to culture for ordinary people.