Green MP Accuses Labour Over Greyhound Racing Ban

Green Party MP Hannah Spencer has accused the Labour Party of “offensively caricaturing” working-class people by claiming they do not support a ban on greyhound racing in England.

Spencer, who represents Gorton and Denton and keeps four rescue greyhounds, said Labour’s position ignores widespread concern among working-class communities about the sport’s ethical implications and accused the party of being influenced by gambling industry donations.

She stated: “Lisa Nandy just continuously offends people by saying that working-class people don’t care about dogs or each other. It is a caricature and it is very offensive.”

Spencer added that working-class people are “fed up with gambling companies being able to wreak havoc in people’s lives” and criticised Labour for accepting hundreds of thousands of pounds in donations from the gambling industry during the general election campaign.

She noted that Labour MPs frequently attend lavish events hosted by betting lobbyists, saying: “That is what opened my eyes to Labour, how lobbied and biased they are.”

The criticism follows decisions by the Scottish and Welsh governments to phase out greyhound racing, while England has not announced similar plans. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy defended the industry in parliament, stating it “brings joy to a lot of people” and contributes positively to the UK economy.

Sources close to Nandy have denied that she believes working-class people do not care about dogs, reiterating Labour’s position that there are “absolutely no plans whatsoever” to ban greyhound racing.

Animal welfare groups have raised concerns about the sport, citing injuries to thousands of greyhounds each year, including broken bones and fatalities, and noting that many dogs are killed when deemed unsuitable for rehoming after retirement.

At least a dozen Labour MPs, including members of the all-party parliamentary group on animal welfare, have called on Keir Starmer to ban greyhound racing in England, describing it as a “cruel and outdated” sport.