MPs and other political figures are beginning to back the Keep Welfare On Track campaign following a successful launch event at the Houses of Parliament.

The campaign, launched by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), is aiming to force the UK betting industry to better protect greyhound welfare through the introduction of a compulsory statutory levy.

GBGB argues that the current voluntary levy, which sees bookmakers able to opt into a payment of 0.6 per cent of their greyhound racing turnover, is inadequate to uphold existing high greyhound welfare standards in the long-term.

And MPs including Andrew Rosindell, Esther McVey, Ian Lavery, Stuart Andrew, Daniel Francis and Diedre Costigan, alongside peers Lord Lipsey and Lord Trees, all heard about the goals of the campaign at the launch event at the Thames Pavilion.

Chair of GBGB, Jeremy Cooper, opened the event with a speech around GBGB’s welfare strategy ‘A Good Life for Every Greyhound’, before announcing the Keep Welfare On Track campaign.

This was followed by Andrew Rosindell MP stressing the importance of a statutory levy to ensure the greyhound industry – and the dogs that race – have ‘a very bright future’.

MPs, peers, and staffers attended the drop-in event throughout the afternoon and spoke to GBGB colleagues about the need to introduce a statutory levy and safeguard racing greyhound welfare.

A public petition, which will enable the public to force a debate on the issue in Parliament, is due to go live soon.

Mark Bird, Chief Executive of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain, said: “The initial interest in Keep Welfare On Track has been strong, with a solid group of MPs and other political figures willing to understand more about the need for a new statutory levy to protect greyhound welfare.

“We hope to build on this initial momentum when the petition goes live, and the public will be able to show their official support too.

“Keep Welfare On Track aims to ensure all bookmakers put their fair share back into the industry to help pay for the welfare schemes we have already put in place for racing greyhounds.

“Without a statutory levy, there is a chance that these schemes will no longer be sustainable, putting greyhound welfare at risk.

“We are grateful to those who have already shown their support for Keep Welfare On Track, and are looking forward to attracting further support now and into the new year.”