Representatives from Countryside Alliance joined leaders from across the horseracing sector yesterday to protest the government's proposed tax rise on betting on the sport, which would cost millions in revenue and lead to thousands of job losses.

The protest took place at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre, in the heart of Westminster, amid a historic one-day strike across British horse racing, with four meetings at Lingfield Park, Carlisle, Uttoxeter and Kempton Park being rescheduled by the BHA.

It is the first time the sport has voluntarily refused to race in its modern history.

Those assembled included the British Horse Racing Authority (BHA), politicians, leading trainers and jockeys Hollie Doyle, Tom Marquand, Oisin Murphy, Paul O'Brien, Saffie Osborne, Kieran Shoemark, Lilly Pinchin and former rider Richard Johnson.

The Treasury is proposing to introduce a single remote gambling tax, which would increase the 15% tax rate paid by bookmakers on racing and align it with online gambling, which is currently taxed at 21%.

The BHA says this would have a "destructive impact" on the industry, with its economic analysis predicting an estimated £330m loss in revenue and putting 2,752 jobs at risk in the first year alone.

"Racing has always been treated differently and, therefore, should continue to be treated differently because of the wider economic impact that British racing has," Louise Norman, chief executive of the Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Mo Metcalf-Fisher, director of external affairs at the Countryside Alliance, who attended the protest, joined GB News shortly after to voice solidarity with the racing sector. He said:

“The countryside and racing are intertwined, both economically and culturally too. The government must not ignore the huge amount of support for racing in the UK, whether that’s in rural or urban areas.

“The political opposition to these dangerous proposals is cross-party, with Labour and Conservative MPs spearheading opposition in Westminster. It would be a political mistake to dismiss these voices and their legitimate concerns”.

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