Racing keen to protect migrant workforce as new immigration laws loom large

Stable staff: the hugely popular Irish Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards takes place next Tuesday

A lot of stable staff are recruited from the EU and beyondCredit: Edward Whitaker

Racing bodies have welcomed the news that the government is set to scrap the £30,000 minimum salary requirement in new immigration policy post Brexit as it will open doors previously closed to stable staff and work riders below that threshold.

Now racing bodies hope their new year's wish for work riders to be reinstated on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) will further boost the stretched workforce in the racing and bloodstock industry.

Tewkesbury MP Laurence Robertson, chair of the all-party Parliamentary Racing and Bloodstock Industries Group, welcomed the latest development and is hoping for more good news when he meets the immigration minister Kevin Frost on Thursday.

Read the full story

Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.

Subscribe to unlock

Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data

Already a subscriber?Log in

Bruce JacksonReporter

David BaxterReporter

Published on 22 January 2020inNews

Last updated 17:51, 22 January 2020

Copy