Stable staff union adds weight to campaign as affordability checks petition passes 75,000 signatures

Some of racing's major training centres in Newmarket, Lambourn, Cotswolds, Yorkshire and the Scottish Borders continue to make a valuable contribution as the industry-wide parliamentary petition calling for a halt to controversial affordability checks passed 75,000 signatures on Wednesday.

The 12 highest-scoring parliamentary constituencies – which account for around seven and a half per cent of the total number of signatures – are all connected to high levels of employment in racing and breeding industries fighting to persuade the UK government and the Gambling Commission to rethink its position over the current proposals, measures that threaten to wipe out £250 million of revenue to the sport over the next five years.

The petition was launched on Wednesday evening and is now more than two-thirds of the way to reaching its target of 100,000 signatures, the qualifying point for affordability checks to be considered for a debate in the parliamentary timetable.

In the five days since the petition went live, many trainers have added their voices to key stakeholders across racing, urging anyone who cares about the future financial health of the sport to sign.

The BHA estimates that 85,000 people are employed directly or indirectly in racing across the UK. The National Association of Racing Staff (Nars) represents 7,600 people and the trade union attempted to inject fresh momentum among its membership on Monday, although chief executive George McGrath was clear that the decision over whether to support the petition was a personal one.

'"We've just this morning posted it on our Facebook page and on our website, and we gave our regional coordinators the chance to speak to their own members in the first instance," said McGrath. "But it's very much an individual decision as to whether to sign it or not.

George McGrath, Nars chief executive: affordability checks "don't actually address problem gambling" Credit: Edward Whitaker

"And the message is for all of racing to sign – it's not just particular to their skillset. This is important for all of racing, every aspect of it, and not just the staff working in racing."

McGrath is fully behind the drive to persuade the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the Gambling Commission to think again on the subject of affordability checks.

"I can see the damage that will be done to racing if these affordability checks do come into play and I fail to see an upside," he said. "It doesn't actually address problem gambling, it just moves it.

"We have promoted it and on the Facebook page it just says 'please sign'. We see our role as being to promote awareness, rather than actually saying 'you have to do this.'"

Punters and the racing industry are being called on to sign a petition calling on the government to stop the implementation of affordability checks. You can sign the petition here.

Read these next:

Five reasons you should sign the affordability checks petition 

'Take a minute to sign the petition' - racing unites in opposition to affordability checks 

'It could be catastrophic for the sport' - punters and racing urged to sign petition against affordability checks 

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