Lord Allen backs tax campaign as he states vision for British racing to become a 'commercial and cultural powerhouse'

New BHA chair Lord Charles Allen has backed British racing's decision to cancel racing on September 10 as part of the ‘Axe the Racing Tax’ campaign as he outlined his vision to turn the sport into a "modern commercial and cultural powerhouse".

Allen took over the role on Monday, three months later than expected having negotiated changes to make the BHA's board independent of racecourses and the sport's participants.

In a statement issued to mark his arrival at the governing body, Allen said British racing was a world leader both as a sport and an industry but was also a "key part of culture and national life".

"That is why I am so proud to start today as chair of the British Horseracing Authority, which is helping to protect and enrich the fabric of Britain," he said.

Lord Allen: "Horseracing is a sport for everyone, not just for the few"

British racing has launched a campaign to lobby the government to spare British racing from plans to harmonise online gambling duties, something it fears could cost the sport at least £66 million.

• Click here to express your concern about the 'racing tax' to your local MP

The most high-profile part of that campaign comes next week, when it has taken the unprecedented step of cancelling racing on Wednesday to highlight the dangers of the proposals.

Allen said: "I am delighted the industry is coming together on September 10 to say ‘Axe the Racing Tax’. It is a historic step to cancel all racing on this date, but this will help us to explain just how concerned we are for the sport on many levels. 

"Horseracing is a sport for everyone, not just for the few. There are 85,000 people dependent directly and indirectly on racing. The proposed changes would not only negatively impact many communities, both rural and urban, but would reduce our ability to be a world leader and the opportunity to have inward investment in the sector. 

"Ensuring sustainable finances is essential if we are to support our participants, our workforce, our horses and our racecourses, and continue to engage our fans, owners, customers and the betting public."

Allen was originally named as the next permanent BHA chair in November, but it had appeared at times that the Labour peer, who has enjoyed a lengthy and successful career in business, media, sport and government, might not take up the role unless he got the changes he wanted.

He said: "It is nine months since I was nominated for the role. In that time, I have had more than 100 meetings with racing people. As well as industry leaders, I met many front-liners for whom the sport is both a matter of professional pride and a labour of love. I immersed myself in the industry so that I could truly understand the opportunity.

"There was a consistent agreement during my meetings that things needed to change if racing was to prosper, but often those I spoke to held the view that change needs to come from elsewhere in the sport rather than from their own segment of the industry. However, I hold the view that there are opportunities and requirements for change across the whole sport, and I believe that overall there is agreement and appetite for this."

Allen, who paid tribute to interim chair David Jones, acting chief executive Brant Dunshea and BHA colleagues for the work they had done, said British racing was "admired worldwide for its heritage, its quality and the standards of integrity and welfare it upholds".

He added: "My vision is not simply that we work to preserve this, but to develop British racing into a modern commercial and cultural powerhouse: a sport that commands attention on the global stage, attracts new audiences, inspires fans at home, supports its people and continues to set the gold standard for the care of the horse.

"With the right governance and ambition, I believe this is possible and I look forward to working across the sector to achieve this vision."

Read these next:

'It's great news for the sport - but no easy ride' - what leading industry figures make of Lord Allen 

Labour links key as Lord Allen gets to work - the five key issues in the new BHA chair's in-tray 

Lord Allen finally joins the BHA at a critical time for racing - but this 'born survivor' faces a 'hero's task' 

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