By Jack Barton, BHA Policy & Advocacy Manager
The up-to-date year is always busy when it comes to political engagement, and in 2025 there was no exception.
The work on the exhaust gas reform, the affordability controls and our more comprehensive political strategy has resumed at speed and our first event of the year on Monday, January 13th (AppG) for racing and Bloodstock were held in the House of Commons that from organized by the co-chair Dan Carden MP and the BHA, the Jockey Club, the Arena Racing Company and the BHA were sponsored. More than 25 cross-party members and colleagues took part in the event, which was composed by the broadcaster Nick Luck.
The Minister of Glory, Baroness Twycross, gave a speech in which she said: “British racing plays a decisive role as part of the sporting culture and the heritage of this country” as well as “a great capital for this country, both in Germany and international”.
Baronin Fiona Twycross (Minister of Glude) speaks at the AppG reception
It's always nice to hear hot words, but politicians can really make the difference in decision -making.
In his last public contribution, Joe Saumarez Smith spoke in a respected career in the British race about the significant economic headwind with which sport is exposed. He asked the government to respond to the exhaust gas reform and the effects of affordability tests to the income of the racing. Taken seriously enough or the views of the Punters, which are properly taken into account. “
It is a message that we will continue to pass on to the government.
DAN CARDE's deputy passionately put his love for racing and asked his government to support the industry in view of the urgent need for tax reform and a better solution to the affordability.
He and the other co-chairman of the group, Nick Timothy MP, asked questions and contributed to debates in parliament on behalf of horse parliament. A current question from Nick at Defra Questions in the House of Commons on the name of thoroughbred as “high health horses” for the purpose of the operational border target model has provided clarity about the associated time frames – a first -class example of this is so vital.
They also helped us to arrange a visit to Recent Market on Thursday, January 30th, on which Nick and Dan, Jack Rankin MP (Con, Ascot and Windsor), Charlotte Cane MP (Lib DES, Ely and East Cambridgeshire ), Lee Pitcher MP participated (Labor, Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme), Baroness Mcintosh, Baroness Harding and Lord Herbert.
The visit included a trip to John and Thady Gosdens Clarehaven Yard, the British racing school, Tattersalls and the National Stud, where she met the legend that is Stradivarius.
AppG visit Tattersalls
It was an educational visit in which the visitors could see first -hand how the ecosystem of British racing works. Newmarket is probably the best example of how our industry can form the foundation of a community.
Visits take place all year round behind the scenes.
The AppG then met in parliament last week, where the deputy managing director of BHA, Brant Dunshea, and director of communication and company affairs Greg Swift updated the group via some of the lobby activities of the sport.
The review and affordability tests
The Levy Review continues. Since the current position of the betting and gaming council (BGC) leaves little space for negotiations, we asked DCMS to make a decision. However, Baroness Twycross has insisted that both parties will return to the negotiations in order to include the development of a up-to-date “growth fund” for British racing sports, and we hope to make some progress in the coming weeks.
We will continue to work with all parties in good faith to achieve a result that works for British races. With the 2023 -gambling whitus, in which the emissions reform is presented as a means of reducing its negative effects on racing, every “growth fund” should contain a meaningful and, above all, up-to-date financial contribution.
In the event of affording, we will soon meet high -ranking DCMS officials to discuss what happens in more detail about customer examinations and restrictions. We also spoke of both with the gambling commission and the BGC about the progress of the pilot's progress of improving the financial risk reviews (the recent GC blog is about the pilot Here).
There is undoubtedly a crucial moment at the end of the pilot: Are these checks really sleek or not? In view of the fact that ministers – both aged and up-to-date ones – said they would only be introduced if they were exactly that, we expect this confirmation. The presentation of facts and data – not of the opinion – will be vital. How we have previously warnedThere is a lot at stake for British races.
Westminster Hall debate about gambling damage
The up-to-date Labor MP Alex Ballinger led a Westminster hall debate In gambling last week. After Dan Card's MP had worked on making our supporters too compact, he visited and outlined that racing had to be protected, and explained that the government had the opportunity to have the gambling landscape for the benefit of sport and entertainment in real life to shape. Lib of the culture, media and sports spokesman Max Wilkinson Member also gave his support for the exhaust gas form and the need to return from betting.
The French MP of Shadow Glossy, the French MP before the damage to the British races, which stood out of the government, accidentally pursues the political measures that are promoting the growth of the black market to leave the market. “Risk” undermines the efforts to make gambling safer “. This is a message that after a study published last week (International Federation of Meersacing Authorities), which had a significant growth of the unit activities that had not been licensed.
Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock – reacts when the Minister of Gambling is sitting in the House of Lords, said that the government is committed to promoting the remaining measures from the white paper, and that it is vital that further reforms are “proportional, targeted and effective. “”
She also warned that there must be an “reasonable volume” of gambling advertising and said that “the owners of the industry are not sustainable in the long term in the long term.”
Since financial risk examinations are currently being piloted and a legal instrument is made available to hand over the legal submission to laws, it seems that sponsorship and advertising for gambling could be the next battlefield. In view of the importance of gambling advertising for the race, especially for our terrestrial television reports on ITV, it is a debate that we will monitor exactly and intervene if necessary. We know from our colleagues in Ireland how challenging this problem can be.
Other debate participants recognized the clear difference between conventional gambling products such as races and more harmful products such as online slots and fobs, a position that was recently taken over by the sub-architects of the affordability test of the think tank of the Social Market Foundation.
Several MPs called for a further tightening of the existing gaming regulations, and we wrote to them that the negative effects would have this on British races.
Budget effects
Another problem that affects sport is the effects of October's budget on racing companies, including changes to the national insurance and the national minimum wage.
While the campaign against inheritance tax and changes in real estate relief was cited from the agricultural lobby, we have found that the work in connection with the thoroughbred breeder association is affected that 1 out of 5 bolt amounts will be affected. We make HM Treasury about the effects of politics on breeders and associated industries.
With vital key figures such as foal cult numbers that pursue in the wrong direction, we can afford everything that breeders continued to build up adolescent thoroughbred stick, especially over jumps. While the drama and the prosperity of the lively upper end of the sales market are a brilliant trading success for the United Kingdom, it may be drawn away where the focus really has to be.
Finally, as my colleague Victoria stated in October, we have to deal with a up-to-date political reality, and progress in terms of race-related topics has so far proven to be complex because the up-to-date government's wish to focus on manifest obligations, to concentrate. However, we have already built up a solid political support base to achieve our goals-and we will develop this further in 2025. We will continue to work with you to ensure that ministers and civil servants know how to support the industry.
Racing has a positive story as an economic, cultural and sporting capital with a devoted fan base that further developed go out in numbers in 2024 despite a challenging economic environment. At the reception, Baroness Twycross said the government wanted to continue to “thrive” the British race. It could also be a voting winner to lend a hand us.
