Tracey Crouch: I might be stepping down as an MP but I'll be carrying on my work to improve welfare in racing

Britain is a nation of animal lovers. If I ever need reminding of this, I only have to look at my inbox. As MP for Chatham and Aylesford, of all the emails I get from my constituents, those about animal welfare and the environment absolutely dominate.

Younger people especially are more aware of animal welfare and the environment in general. They have higher expectations and want to know those expectations are being met. If racing is to have a healthy, long-term sustainable future, it needs to be something the next generation can fully support. 

That’s why the work of the Horse Welfare Board, and the industry’s A Life Well Lived strategy, is so important to the future of the sport. Racing has a social licence but that is something it could quite easily lose if it doesn’t take the issue of equine welfare seriously.