The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has appointed Sir Philip Davies as its new Member Nominated Director (MND) from the Racecourse Association (RCA). This decision, announced yesterday, follows the RCA's internal selection procedure, replacing Wilf Walsh, who held the position since October 2021.
Sir Philip, who joined the RCA board earlier this year, previously served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Shipley from 2005 until 2024. During his time in Parliament, he held significant roles pertaining to the racing and betting sectors, including co-chairing the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Betting and Gaming (APPG) and vice-chairing the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Racing and Bloodstock.
In that capacity, he led an inquiry into the 2005 Gambling Act review, which eventually contributed to the 2023 White Paper.
As a notable advocate for racing and betting, Sir Philip currently chairs both 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, who took over as the non-executive chair of the BHA in October, expressed his pleasure regarding the appointment. He noted, "Throughout his time in Parliament, he was a strong advocate for racing and betting, helping to ensure the interests of our sport were understood by his fellow politicians, and I look forward to working with him."
Cox also thanked Wilf Walsh for his contributions over the past five years on the board.
Sir Philip remarked, "I am delighted to be joining the BHA Board to represent the interests of racecourses. 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."
His appointment comes at a critical time as the possibility of an increase in machine gaming duty (MGD) looms in the upcoming October budget. Analysts from Regulus warn that doubling MGD could result in a £92 million annual cost to horse racing, roughly one-third of its betting-derived income, potentially jeopardizing vital funding and research investments.
Greg Swift, BHA's director of communications and corporate affairs, stated, "We strongly urge the government to seriously consider the secondary impact on horse racing of a tax hike on betting shops, and also urgently explore measures to ensure that British racing – and the 85,000 jobs it supports – is put on a long-term and sustainable financial footing."
