Parliamentary group ‘demand action’ over online tax threat to racing

MP Nick Timothy has demanded action from the government to safeguard the future of British horse racing.

Timothy, whose constituency of West Suffolk includes Newmarket, is co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Racing and Bloodstock, which will release a report on Monday that warns the industry could be deeply affected by proposals to raise online betting taxes, added to existing concerns around affordability checks and a failure to deliver a more sustainable central funding model.

Ahead of the budget, the Treasury is also seeking views on replacing the current three-tax structure of online gambling duties with a single remote betting and gaming duty, which would tax bets on racing at the same rate as more profitable online casino and slot games and possibly lead to a reduction in bets on racing, which would affect the sport’s funding.

Timothy said: “Horse racing is one of the crown jewels of British sport and culture. Newmarket, in my constituency, is the centre of racing and breeding in Britain. Some of the most important racing operations in the world are based in Suffolk, and these businesses invest huge sums of money into the local economy.

“This is a story we could tell across the country, from rural villages to towns like Cheltenham and Doncaster, where horse racing is part of the social fabric and has been for centuries.

“The public recognise this. Nobody will forgive ministers if their decisions lead to the decline of the nation’s second-biggest spectator sport. The time for warm words has ended – we now demand action. The government must listen to the public and take immediate measures to secure the future of horse racing in Britain.”

Fellow co-chair Dan Carden counts Aintree in his Liverpool Walton constituency and he added: “The message from this report is clear: British racing needs this Labour Government to be on its side.

“Racing is part of our national story, and its enjoyment and support extends all the way from rural to urban working class communities.

“I’m calling on the government to listen and to act in order to secure a fair funding model, protect jobs and allow horse racing to thrive for future generations.”

Brant Dunshea, chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, believes racing is a “cherished national institution, loved by people across every part of society, across every type of community, across every political party” and it should be “allowed it to survive and thrive instead of risking its future”.

He said: “The cultural, social and economic value of racing is huge for towns and rural areas across Britain. It is those communities that will suffer the job losses, the decline in community pride and the loss of identity that will come if racing is allowed to fail.

“British racing cannot – and must not – be allowed to fail. All of us who love and depend on this iconic sport call on the government to recognise the depth of the feeling and act now to back British racing.”