Racing’s engagement with the new government and parliament – ​​BHA blog

Victoria Morgan, Head of Policy and Advocacy, BHA

The early general elections in July took everyone by surprise. British racing leaders worked tirelessly to secure vital Levy reforms, but the deal was scuppered at the last minute by a snap election.

Despite the disappointment over the sudden winding down of the Levy negotiations, the elections provided an opportunity for participation not only in the new government, but also in the reformed parliament. This blog provides a brief overview of how the BHA has approached the government’s first 100 days in office.

Task

While the election of a Labor government was certain, it was less clear where the party stood on key horse racing issues. The only race-related topic in his manifesto was gambling, which he simply stated:

The Labor Party is committed to reducing gambling-related harm. Recognizing the evolution of the gambling industry since 2005, the Labor Party will reform gambling regulation to strengthen protections. We will continue to work with the industry on how to ensure responsible gaming.

It echoed comments from the opposition Labor Party that it supported the aims of the previous government’s White Paper, without revealing details of any specific measures they might consider to reform gambling regulation beyond that.

The sense of uncertainty over gambling and sport policy has been compounded by the fact that former shadow secretary of state for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Thangam Debbonaire, lost her Bristol seat to a Green Party candidate.

Although Wigan MP Lisa Nandy was quickly appointed Secretary of State in July, it was not clear until the end of the month how DCMS ministerial responsibilities would be distributed. Stephanie Peacock was appointed Sports Secretary but ceded the gambling brief she held in her shadow role to Baroness Twycross, meaning responsibility for gambling policy now lies in the House of Lords, with Peacock in charge of announcement and administration any gambling in the future. resolutions through the House of Commons.

DCMS also has one fewer minister than under the previous government. This is likely to make it difficult for all sports, including racing, to interact with a government that not only has an overflowing entry tray but has also found itself in power earlier than expected.

And while it was good to see the Prime Minister visiting the St Leger with his wife Victoria – a well-known motor racing fan – the support from the Labor Government cannot be taken for granted. So, we will continue to make a compelling case for race in the corridors of power.

Opportunity

As the government lays out a dismal economic story, it could be easy for riders to feel gloomy at the prospect of imminent Levy reform or the possibility of an alternative approach to affordability checks.

However, BHA leaders have already had a productive meeting with Baroness Twycross. She is a Minister who takes a pragmatic and collaborative approach to engaging with stakeholders in the racing and gaming industry. We have also worked positively with department officials.

Another opportunity for racing is in Parliament itself. The election brought about the biggest change in the House of Commons for many years, not only with the transition from the Conservatives to Labour, but also with hundreds of new MPs from all parties launching their political careers.

This means that many British racecourses are now represented by new MPs: Labor has 23, the Conservatives 21, the Liberal Democrats 12, Reform one and the Scottish National Party one. The BHA, The Jockey Club, Arena Racing Company and the Horseracing Association, which work with independent racecourses, have already met with 30 MPs representing British racecourses since the general election. Several visits to racecourses and stables have already been undertaken and more are planned as our political involvement gains momentum.

In addition, under the new leadership of co-chairs Dan Carden MP (Labour, representing Aintree) and Nick Timothy MP (Conservative, representing Newmarket), the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Racing and Blood Cattle has been reformed. attracted 29 participants in the first month of operation. This number includes several Labor MPs and their colleagues who support and enjoy racing at their local tracks – from David Baines MP (Haydock) to Sally Jameson MP (Doncaster).

The impact of the revamped APPG became clear last week when Nick Timothy hosted a Westminster Hall debate on government support for horse racing. Despite the Thursday afternoon schedule – which is usually a quiet time in Parliament when MPs return to their constituencies – 15 MPs found time to attend the debate, highlighting the importance of British horse racing in Parliament.

MPs, who were sent a BHA briefing paper ahead of the debate, were unanimous in the need to speed up Levy reform and include betting on overseas racing to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of British horse racing. There have also been calls to look at the impact of financial risk checks on horse racing as the Gambling Commission conducts a pilot project that ends in spring 2025.

Responding on behalf of the government, Stephanie Peacock said Labor remains committed to supporting British motor racing and the BHA and the sport’s leaders will be looking to make progress with the government on fee reform and a review of racing accessibility in the coming months.

The support that the BHA and racecourses have received so far from Labor MPs is particularly encouraging, showing that the sport is much more than what happens on the track, but is a vital cultural sporting event that supports thousands of jobs , brings communities together and attracts attention. people of all backgrounds across Britain.

Party conferences

BHA Corporate Affairs representatives attended all three major party conferences earlier this fall, taking part in additional events and meetings with MPs.

All conferences held additional events highlighting the harms associated with gambling, with organizations such as Gambling with Lives and the Campaign for Fairer Gambling supporting events to make the case for stricter controls on gambling.

Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross spoke at a side event chaired by the Social Market Foundation, which discussed the economics of gambling harm. In her response, the minister acknowledged that most people gamble safely, although much remains to be done to prevent harm. She also stated that she does not believe that all types of gambling should be in the same basket, recognizing the differences between different types of gambling. This was an encouraging intervention.

Although the animal welfare events were well attended, it was reassuring that none of them mentioned horse racing. However, given that animal welfare is an emotive issue that fills MPs’ inboxes, we will continue to demonstrate to government and MPs our collective commitment to continually improving equine welfare.

Although the Conservatives have lost a significant number of MPs, the opposition will remain key to holding the government to account before the next parliament. So we will continue to engage with the party and the newly expanded Liberal Democratic Party Parliamentary Party as we build a broad caucus of support on both sides of the House.

At the Lib Dem conference, messages reflected the party’s electoral success in traditional rural Tory areas, with MP Tim Farron saying he wanted to be a “dry stone wall” party. This kind of commitment to supporting rural industries like ours is certainly welcome.

What’s next?

All eyes will be on the Budget this week amid rumors of possible changes to taxes on the gambling industry. We will be monitoring this development closely and responding accordingly, having already issued a meaningful statement when this topic first arose earlier this month.

Of course, Levy reform remains at the top of our agenda and in the coming weeks we will be meeting with ministers and officials from the Betting and Gaming Council and DCMS ministers and officials to make progress – with the support of MPs and colleagues who are working hard , protecting us.

We are also urgently strengthening the effectiveness of accessibility checks at the highest levels of government, as bet turnover continues to fall.

Meetings continue to be held in parliament – and at racecourses – with MPs representing the interests of sport to ministers.

The APPG will host a reception in Parliament in January where Baroness Twycross will provide Racing leaders and MPs with an update on the direction of Levy and gambling reform.

Select committees have been reformed to provide another vehicle for examining government policy – the BHA will be meeting with chairs and members in the coming months.

And later this week we’ll finally find out who won the Conservative leadership contest. A new shadow cabinet will be formed and we will ensure that the relevant shadow ministers are well briefed on horse racing issues so that the government can be held to account in all areas of policy that affect our sport.

While the BHA and stakeholder groups lead political action on behalf of horse racing, we encourage everyone involved with the sport – competitors, bettors and fans – to speak to their local MP to help put our sport on the political map . From inviting them to visit shipyards and stud farms to demonstrating how issues such as accessibility checks impact fans’ ability to attend racing.

It has been a turbulent political year for motor racing, but we have now come to grips with the new political reality and are ready to capitalize on the opportunities presented by a renewed Government and Parliament.