
Horse racing risks being DESTROYED if Reeves pushes ahead with tax raid on online gambling, MPs warn
HORSE racing risks being destroyed if Rachel Reeves pushes ahead with a tax raid on online gambling, MPs warned today.
Senior Labour and Tory politicians urged the Chancellor not to whack up betting levies.
They say it could wipe out 'one of the crown jewels of UK sport and culture'.
The Treasury is considering a new flat-rate remote betting and gaming duty, under which horse racing bets would be taxed at the same rate as online gaming and slots — despite being less profitable.
Such a move would discourage bookmakers from promoting the sport, leading to fewer bets, it is claimed.
In a new report, the All Party Parliamentary Group for Racing and Bloodstock said the tax would bring job losses and economic pain for towns such as Doncaster, Cheltenham and Newmarket.
Labour MP Dan Carden said: 'I'm calling on the Government to secure a fair funding model, protect jobs and allow horse racing to thrive for future generations.'
And Tory MP Nick Timothy added: 'Horse racing is one of the crown jewels of British sport and culture. Nobody will forgive ministers if their decisions lead to its decline.'
The MPs' concerns are backed by voters, with polling for the APPG showing two-thirds see horse racing as key to the identity of race meeting towns.
The racing sector contributes £4.1billion to the economy and supports more than 85,000 jobs.
1
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Revealed: The popular tourist destination where Brits will get the best exchange rate
It feels like it's getting more and more expensive to go abroad, and many Brits are really feeling the pinch when it comes to their holidays. But there's a popular tourist hotspot where your pound will stretch further than anywhere else. Post Office Travel Money's Holiday Spending Report looked at how sterling is performing against its 30 bestselling currencies compared with 12 and three months ago. It reveals that visitors to Turkey from the UK will get the most for their money, due to the ongoing, long-term collapse of the Turkish lira. Over the past three months, the lira has fallen by 12.9 per cent against the pound. And, compared with last June, visitors can now expect to receive around £116 (+30.2 per cent) more when they buy £500 worth of lira. The report also reveals the sterling has bounced back against the US dollar and is currently 6.6 per cent stronger than it was a year ago, and has gained 4.9 per cent in the past three months. For £500, tourists will now receive almost £31 more of US dollars, than they would a year ago. The report also reveals the sterling has bounced back against the US dollar and is currently 6.6 per cent stronger than it was a year ago, but Brits are turning their back on the States Despite this bang for your buck, the report found that many Brits are turning away from travelling to the States. Over half (53 per cent) of those surveyed said they'd actively avoid destinations where they think President Donald Trump's tariffs could affect resort prices, and 39 per cent said they categorically will not travel to the States. But those not wanting to go to the US can still benefit from the dollar recovery, as it extends to the Caribbean and Middle East currencies pegged to the dollar. It means Brits planning trips to Barbados, Antigua, Dubai, and other long-haul holiday favourites will get more for their pounds. Meanwhile, holidaymakers rated Spain (41 per cent), Turkey (35 per cent) and Thailand (31 per cent) best value for money out of 39 worldwide destinations. However, the report found the Thai baht was one of only five of the 30 bestselling currencies to rise in value against sterling. A sterling year-on-year fall of 5.2 per cent means that British visitors will get £27.64 fewer Thai baht on a typical £500 currency transaction. Given that almost half (48 per cent) of holidaymakers said they will choose their destination based on the strength of sterling, two other Far Eastern destinations – Vietnam and Bali - will actually offer Brits more for their money. Visitors to Vietnam will get the equivalent of £42.01 – or 9.2 per cent extra - on a £500 purchase of Vietnamese dong. Those choosing Bali, fourth-placed in the barometer, can expect around £33 (7.1 per cent) more in Indonesian rupiah than a year ago. Laura Plunkett, Head of Travel Money at Post Office, said: 'This year's holiday spending research again demonstrates that holidaymakers don't always set a realistic budget and overspend by large amounts as a result. 'It's great to hear that holidaymakers are already planning to budget more for their holidays this year, to avoid coming unstuck when they arrive at their destination.'


Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
England football star Kieran Trippier and his wife 'to divorce' - after he broke his silence on their marriage split
English ace Kieran Tripper and wife Charlotte are divorcing, according to reports. The Newcastle United right-back revealed earlier this week that he split from his wife Charlotte more than a year ago. But a source said that the pair are definitely committed to making the separation permanent, the Sun has now reported. Trippier, 34, married Charlotte in Cyprus in 2016 and the couple have three children togther, Jacob, and two daughters, Esme and Isla. The source said: 'Charlotte has been open with her friends about getting a divorce. She has been seeking legal advice and is keen to move on with her life. 'Kieran is a devoted dad but as a partner it hasn't worked out as Charlotte had hoped. 'She has moved house and started anew, so getting a divorce has been the next logical step. Charlotte wants to keep things as amicable as possible with Kieran.' The 34-year-old football star said on Wednesday in a statement on Instagram stories: 'I feel I have no choice but to confirm publicly that myself and Charlotte separated over a year ago. 'Myself and Charlotte separated over a year ago. I have not commented previously as it is a private matter and we want to protect our children.' Kieran and Charlotte married in 2016 and sources say that they were keen to keep their split a secret so their kids would not have to deal with any upset. However, it has been reported that Charlotte has a new property where she lives without Kieran. Rumours of their split began during last year's Euros in Germany when Charlotte unfollowed her husband on Instagram on the end of the England's final group game. She also did not jet to Germany like other WAGs. She then posted a cryptic message on social media, saying: 'Sooner or later you get over the s*** you swore you'd never get over and it's the best feeling in the world.' Further posts included the caption 'the sun is shining, happy Monday', where Charlotte was seen sitting in the car listening to music while she waited to pick up her children from school. Meanwhile, the footballer, 34, was reportedly seen mingling in Ibiza with another woman this week. The Newcastle United player was spotted partying with Geordie Shore star Chloe Ferry and her pals including Love Island star Jess Harding at Ushuaia club on the White Isle. The sportsman announced his retirement from international football in August last year - with MailOnline revealing how he wanted to to focus on life outside the game following his marriage breakdown. MailOnline has approached representatives of Kieran Trippier for comment, and also Charlotte Trippier.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
ANDREW NEIL: No future UK government has a hope of making things better if it can't reform our incompetent Left-wing, WFH civil service
Former Tory Cabinet minister-turned-magazine editor, Michael Gove, this week revealed that, as Education Secretary, he had to overrule civil servants who wanted to suppress newspaper revelations about in Rotherham. The local council requested the government join it in legal action to prevent The Times from publishing details of its ground-breaking investigation into the scandal. Some senior civil servants in his department advised Gove to join in this bid to muzzle the press.