Labour ‘says working class don’t care about dogs’ claims new Green MP Hannah Spencer as she backs greyhound racing ban

Green Party MP Hannah Spencer said Labor had ‘aggressively caricatured’ the working class by claiming they did not want to ban greyhound racing.

Politicians in England have faced increasing pressure as lawmakers banned greyhound racing in Scotland and Wales.

Greyhound racing is traditionally linked to working-class culture and is widely popular in traditional Labor strongholds.

Party insiders have previously suggested the sport’s popularity in these regions has partly contributed to the lack of plans to ban it in England.

The gambling industry brings ‘joy to many people’ and ‘positive benefits’ to the UK as a whole, Culture Minister Lisa Nandy told parliament on Thursday.

But the Gorton and Denton MP said: ‘Lisa Nandy constantly offends people by saying working-class people don’t care about dogs or each other. This is a caricature and is very offensive.

‘I get offended when I hear claims of being working class. Working class people are fed up with gambling companies ruining people’s lives.’

The Green MP continued to support a ban on the sport, which could cause injury and death to greyhounds; Many dogs that survived greyhound racing were rescued after their days on the track were over.

Politicians in England face growing pressure to end greyhound racing as lawmakers ban the sport in Scotland and Wales (file image)

And when placed in animal charities, they often face the difficult challenge of finding new homes for dogs who are often anxious and unaccustomed to living with a closed family.

Meanwhile, animal rights activists argue that this sport is dangerous, and that thousands of people suffer leg fractures, head trauma and even fatal injuries on racetracks in the UK every year.

According to the latest data from the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), 123 greyhounds died trackside in the UK in 2024; This figure is an increase compared to 2023. There were an additional 3,809 injuries to dogs on the tracks in 2024.

But people close to Nandy rejected her claim that she believed working-class people did not care about dogs or other working-class people.

While the Wigan MP insisted there were ‘absolutely no plans’ to ban the sport, he said his party recognized the economic contribution as well as the happiness sport ‘brings to many, many people’ in Britain.

But for Spencer, a former plumber before his historic victory in Gorton and Denton, greyhound racing was the reason he became invested in politics.

The 34-year-old has previously campaigned near local greyhound racing track Belle Vue, where his beloved Olive has previously raced on the tracks.

Recalling how she was ‘really heartbroken’ when she first welcomed Olive into her home, Spencer revealed she had also rehomed an 11-year-old beagle called Judy, who had been kept in a kennel for breeding for nearly a decade.

Meanwhile, Graham, the first greyhound who had spent most of his life indoors, was afraid of everything.

‘Despite my efforts for years, he could not overcome his anxiety. There were many things that frightened him.’ he told The Guardian.

Addressing parliament on Thursday, Culture Minister Lisa Nandy (pictured April 14) said the gambling industry brought ‘joy to many people’ and ‘positive benefits’ to the UK as a whole.

Animal rights campaigners argue the sport is dangerous, with thousands of people suffering leg fractures, head injuries and even fatal injuries at racetracks in the UK every year.

Labor officials, including Sir Keir and three other cabinet ministers, have received thousands of pounds in donations and corporate hospitality from gambling companies as well as senior industry figures in 2024. Times reported.

And in 2022 betting giants showered MPs with freebies worth £100,000 in the six months ahead of a major gambling review at the time.

Spencer says Labor’s position on greyhound racing has been ‘opened’ [her] We see how lobbyist and biased the party is.

He claimed they often accepted ‘really expensive hospitality packages’ from gambling companies.

He added: ‘Why would they go out and see a gig at Wembley that they paid for with the misery of gambling addicts?’

It comes after Green Party leader Zack Polanski was accused of ‘extreme insanity’ by The Sun after a social media post suggesting he wanted horse racing to be banned.

But the Gorton and Denton MP believes there should be discussions about banning the sport given two horse deaths at the Grand National this year.

Matt Zarb-Cousin, co-founder of Gamban, an app that helps people with gambling addictions, said gambling lobbyists believe many governments represent the working class because their industry exploits them.

‘Making the assumption that ordinary working people somehow don’t care about the welfare of dogs is a form of class prejudice,’ he said.

Mark Moisley, commercial director of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain, said: ‘Greyhound racing has a sacred place in British culture, contributing £164 million a year to the economy, employing 5,400 people and remaining one of the 10 most watched sports in the UK – and our priority is to ensure this continues, with the welfare of greyhounds at the heart of this.’