Early Day Motions

Use of the whip in British horseracing

EDM (Early Day Motion) 135: tabled on 04 February 2020

Tabled in the 2019-21 session.

This motion has been signed by 97 Members. It has not yet had any amendments submitted.

Motion text

That this House notes that racehorses are routinely beaten with a whip under rules set by the industry's regulatory body, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) which sanctions this violent treatment in order that jockeys may, as it is claimed, encourage racehorses to improve their chances of winning, even though evidence indicates that whipping for this purpose is counter-productive; further notes that there were more than 400 breaches of the rules in 2019, mostly for whipping racehorses more than the permitted number of strikes; notes that no other animal can be legally beaten in such circumstances and that a 2018 YouGov poll found that, of those who expressed an opinion, 83 per cent of respondents oppose racehorses being whipped; recognises that, for genuine purposes of safety where other methods have failed to bring a horse under control, a whip can be legitimately employed, as is the case in Norway; and calls on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ensure that the BHA's rules are amended to prohibit use of the whip for encouragement or for equivalent reasons.

The first 6 Members who have signed to support the motion are the sponsors. The primary sponsor is generally the person who tabled the motion and has responsibility for it. The date shown is when the Member signed the motion.

Evans, Chris
Labour
Signed on 4 February 2020
Islwyn
Primary
Lucas, Caroline
Green Party
Signed on 5 February 2020
Brighton, Pavilion
Stephens, Chris
Scottish National Party
Signed on 5 February 2020
Glasgow South West
Dorans, Allan
Scottish National Party
Signed on 6 February 2020
Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock
McDonald, Stewart Malcolm
Scottish National Party
Signed on 6 February 2020
Glasgow South
Oswald, Kirsten
Scottish National Party
Signed on 6 February 2020
East Renfrewshire

In addition to the sponsors, the following Members have signed to support the motion.

Duffield, Rosie
Labour
Signed on 6 February 2020
Canterbury
Chamberlain, Wendy
Liberal Democrat
Signed on 7 February 2020
North East Fife
Gibson, Patricia
Scottish National Party
Signed on 9 February 2020
North Ayrshire and Arran
Hobhouse, Wera
Liberal Democrat
Signed on 10 February 2020
Bath
Cameron, Dr Lisa
Scottish National Party
Signed on 10 February 2020
East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
Nicolson, John
Scottish National Party
Signed on 10 February 2020
Ochil and South Perthshire
Hanvey, Neale
Independent
Signed on 10 February 2020
Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath
Saville Roberts, Liz
Plaid Cymru
Signed on 10 February 2020
Dwyfor Meirionnydd
Stone, Jamie
Liberal Democrat
Signed on 11 February 2020
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Jardine, Christine
Liberal Democrat
Signed on 11 February 2020
Edinburgh West
MacAskill, Kenny
Scottish National Party
Signed on 11 February 2020
East Lothian
Sobel, Alex
Labour
Signed on 11 February 2020
Leeds North West
Fovargue, Yvonne
Labour
Signed on 11 February 2020
Makerfield
Anderson, Fleur
Labour
Signed on 11 February 2020
Putney
Monaghan, Carol
Scottish National Party
Signed on 11 February 2020
Glasgow North West
Olney, Sarah
Liberal Democrat
Signed on 11 February 2020
Richmond Park
Edwards, Jonathan
Plaid Cymru
Signed on 11 February 2020
Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
Sheppard, Tommy
Scottish National Party
Signed on 13 February 2020
Edinburgh East
McDonald, Stuart C
Scottish National Party
Signed on 13 February 2020
Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East
Sharma, Mr Virendra
Labour
Signed on 13 February 2020
Ealing, Southall
Byrne, Ian
Labour
Signed on 13 February 2020
Liverpool, West Derby
Bonnar, Steven
Scottish National Party
Signed on 13 February 2020
Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
Antoniazzi, Tonia
Labour
Signed on 13 February 2020
Gower
Blackford, Ian
Scottish National Party
Signed on 17 February 2020
Ross, Skye and Lochaber
Smith, Alyn
Scottish National Party
Signed on 20 February 2020
Stirling
Eshalomi, Florence
Labour
Signed on 21 February 2020
Vauxhall
McMorrin, Anna
Labour
Signed on 24 February 2020
Cardiff North
Murray, James
Labour
Signed on 24 February 2020
Ealing North
Sheerman, Mr Barry
Labour
Signed on 25 February 2020
Huddersfield
Law, Chris
Scottish National Party
Signed on 26 February 2020
Dundee West
McDonagh, Siobhain
Labour
Signed on 27 February 2020
Mitcham and Morden
Black, Mhairi
Scottish National Party
Signed on 2 March 2020
Paisley and Renfrewshire South
Brock, Deidre
Scottish National Party
Signed on 4 March 2020
Edinburgh North and Leith
Bruce, Fiona
Conservative
Signed on 9 March 2020
Congleton
Flynn, Stephen
Scottish National Party
Signed on 11 March 2020
Aberdeen South
Wilson, Sammy
Democratic Unionist Party
Signed on 11 March 2020
East Antrim
Sultana, Zarah
Labour
Signed on 12 March 2020
Coventry South
Crawley, Angela
Scottish National Party
Signed on 12 March 2020
Lanark and Hamilton East
Grady, Patrick
Scottish National Party
Signed on 12 March 2020
Glasgow North
Cooper, Rosie
Labour
Signed on 13 March 2020
West Lancashire
Ferrier, Margaret
Scottish National Party
Signed on 16 March 2020
Rutherglen and Hamilton West
Girvan, Paul
Democratic Unionist Party
Signed on 18 March 2020
South Antrim
Nichols, Charlotte
Labour
Signed on 23 March 2020
Warrington North
Chapman, Douglas
Scottish National Party
Signed on 21 April 2020
Dunfermline and West Fife
Ribeiro-Addy, Bell
Labour
Signed on 21 April 2020
Streatham
Oppong-Asare, Abena
Labour
Signed on 21 April 2020
Erith and Thamesmead
Moran, Layla
Liberal Democrat
Signed on 21 April 2020
Oxford West and Abingdon
Gwynne, Andrew
Labour
Signed on 21 April 2020
Denton and Reddish
Hendry, Drew
Scottish National Party
Signed on 28 April 2020
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
Hanna, Claire
Social Democratic & Labour Party
Signed on 4 May 2020
Belfast South
Cryer, John
Labour
Signed on 5 May 2020
Leyton and Wanstead
Osamor, Kate
Labour
Signed on 18 May 2020
Edmonton
Thomson, Richard
Scottish National Party
Signed on 1 June 2020
Gordon
Henderson, Gordon
Conservative
Signed on 2 June 2020
Sittingbourne and Sheppey
Fellows, Marion
Scottish National Party
Signed on 3 June 2020
Motherwell and Wishaw
Abrahams, Debbie
Labour
Signed on 4 June 2020
Oldham East and Saddleworth
Amess, Sir David
Conservative
Signed on 29 June 2020
Southend West
Hill, Mike
Labour
Signed on 1 July 2020
Hartlepool
Lewell-Buck, Mrs Emma
Labour
Signed on 6 July 2020
South Shields
Whitley, Mick
Labour
Signed on 6 July 2020
Birkenhead
Brown, Alan
Scottish National Party
Signed on 6 July 2020
Kilmarnock and Loudoun
Doogan, Dave
Scottish National Party
Signed on 7 July 2020
Angus
Cruddas, Jon
Labour
Signed on 8 July 2020
Dagenham and Rainham
Day, Martyn
Scottish National Party
Signed on 8 July 2020
Linlithgow and East Falkirk
Robinson, Gavin
Democratic Unionist Party
Signed on 8 July 2020
Belfast East
Farron, Tim
Liberal Democrat
Signed on 9 July 2020
Westmorland and Lonsdale
Lloyd, Tony
Labour
Signed on 9 July 2020
Rochdale
Yasin, Mohammad
Labour
Signed on 10 July 2020
Bedford
Lake, Ben
Plaid Cymru
Signed on 10 July 2020
Ceredigion
Williams, Hywel
Plaid Cymru
Signed on 10 July 2020
Arfon
Stringer, Graham
Labour
Signed on 10 July 2020
Blackley and Broughton
Farry, Stephen
Alliance
Signed on 15 July 2020
North Down
Thompson, Owen
Scottish National Party
Signed on 20 July 2020
Midlothian
Abbott, Ms Diane
Labour
Signed on 20 July 2020
Hackney North and Stoke Newington
Wilson, Munira
Liberal Democrat
Signed on 1 September 2020
Twickenham
Donaldson, Sir Jeffrey M
Democratic Unionist Party
Signed on 1 September 2020
Lagan Valley
Selous, Andrew
Conservative
Signed on 1 September 2020
South West Bedfordshire
Callaghan, Amy
Scottish National Party
Signed on 17 September 2020
East Dunbartonshire
Eastwood, Colum
Social Democratic & Labour Party
Signed on 22 September 2020
Foyle
McLaughlin, Anne
Scottish National Party
Signed on 9 November 2020
Glasgow North East
Cooper, Daisy
Liberal Democrat
Signed on 9 November 2020
St Albans
Begum, Apsana
Labour
Signed on 19 November 2020
Poplar and Limehouse
Whitford, Dr Philippa
Scottish National Party
Signed on 2 December 2020
Central Ayrshire
Winter, Beth
Labour
Signed on 7 December 2020
Cynon Valley
Osborne, Kate
Labour
Signed on 10 December 2020
Jarrow
Carmichael, Mr Alistair
Liberal Democrat
Signed on 5 January 2021
Orkney and Shetland
Webbe, Claudia
Labour
Signed on 18 January 2021
Leicester East
Timms, Stephen
Labour
Signed on 8 February 2021
East Ham
Blake, Olivia
Labour
Signed on 22 March 2021
Sheffield, Hallam
Barker, Paula
Labour
Signed on 13 April 2021
Liverpool, Wavertree

These members had previously signed the motion, but have now withdrawn their support. The date shown is when the Member withdrew their signature from the motion.

Carden, Dan
Labour
Signature withdrawn on 19 April 2021
Liverpool, Walton