The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has announced the interim appointment of Sir Philip Davies to its board as the Racecourse Association’s (RCA) Member Nominated Director (MND). This decision follows an internal selection process by the RCA and comes as Sir Philip replaces Wilf Walsh, who has served as one of the RCA’s two MNDs on the BHA board since October 2021.
Sir Philip joined the RCA board earlier this year and was previously the Member of Parliament (MP) for Shipley from 2005 until 2024. Throughout his parliamentary career, he held several positions related to the racing and betting sectors. Notably, he jointly chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Betting and Gaming (APPG) and was the vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Racing and Bloodstock. His involvement with the APPG included launching an inquiry into the extensive review of the 2005 Gambling Act and the subsequent white paper released in 2023.
Described as a strong advocate for racing and betting, Sir Philip currently chairs the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) and the National Horseracing College in Doncaster. He has also been a board member of the Racehorse Owners Association.
Simon Cox, chair of the BHA, expressed his pleasure in welcoming Sir Philip to the BHA Board. He highlighted Sir Philip's strong advocacy for racing and betting during his parliamentary tenure, saying, "I look forward to working with him." Simon Cox became the new non-executive chair of the BHA earlier this year, starting at the beginning of October. He also thanked Wilf Walsh for his significant contributions to the Board over the past five years.
In his statement, Sir Philip expressed his delight in joining the BHA Board and emphasized his commitment to representing the interests of racecourses. He stated, "Racing is a sport and industry for which I have long held a strong interest and I look forward to working with board members and stakeholders across the sport to support its long-term success."
Sir Philip’s appointment arrives in the midst of concerns regarding a potential increase in the machine gaming duty (MGD), anticipated in the upcoming October budget. Many stakeholders fear that such a hike could negatively impact the horseracing industry. An analysis by Regulus suggested that doubling the MGD could cost the horse racing sector approximately £92 million annually, which would represent around one-third of its betting-derived income, jeopardizing vital investments in funding and research.
Greg Swift, the BHA’s director of communications and corporate affairs, urged the government to take into account the broader impact a tax hike on betting shops would have on horse racing and to explore measures to stabilize British racing and the 85,000 jobs it supports.
