Brent Councillors were joined by MPs Dawn Butler and Joe Powell on 21 April as they took their campaign to overturn the Aim to Permit to Downing Street.

The authority began its opposition to the “proliferation of AGCs” last year, and has since outlined a six-point plan allowing councils “to take back control” of high streets.

“We are on the side of local residents who are fed up of gambling companies targeting our borough, and we’re fighting back,” said Mili Patel, deputy leader of Brent Council 

“We’re just getting started! We will keep campaigning until all six points in our plan for change have been delivered and we have all the powers we need to take back control of our high streets.”

That would be heartening if the council had done such a good job with its borough in the first place.But is hasn’t – and that is nothing to do with tax paying, local employing gambling businesses.

The visit to Number Ten was timed to coincide with the government’s announcement that it will introduce cumulative impact assessments for gambling premises. However, not surprisingly, the GIA have generated a wave of criticism from local authority officials and key stakeholders for being unworkable.

“It’s great to finally have a government who are listening to communities and councils and implementing the change we need to see,” added Patel.

That’s what performative politics is all about. Practical politics, on the other hand, is a completely different thing – Mr Patel should practice some of that in his own borough. Perhaps then, the number of deprived areas might be fewer.