Green MP accuses Labour of believing working class people 'don't care about dogs'

Fintan Starkey
Sun, 19 Apr 2026 08:39:06 +0000

Green MP Hannah Spencer has accused Labour of presenting working class communities of "not caring about dogs" by suggesting they oppose a ban on greyhound racing in England.

Ms Spencer, who secured victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election in February, owns four rescue greyhounds.

She said: "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."

The MP expressed frustration at the class-based framing of the debate, adding: "I get offended when I hear the argument made that it is working class. Working-class people are fed up with gambling companies being able to wreak havoc in people's lives."

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Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy defended the betting sector during parliamentary proceedings on Thursday, declaring that the gambling industry "brings joy to a lot of people" and "brings positive benefits to the United Kingdom."

The government has made clear it will not follow Scotland and Wales, which both announced prohibitions on the sport last month.

Ms Nandy has been unwavering about Labour's position, stating: "We have absolutely no plans whatsoever to ban greyhound racing.

"We appreciate the joy that it brings to many, many people in our country and the economic contribution that it makes."

Labour insiders point to the sport's historical popularity in red wall constituencies as a factor in the government's reluctance to act.

Sources close to Ms Nandy dismissed suggestions that she believed working-class communities were indifferent to animal welfare or each other.

The sport's toll on animals is severe, between 2018 and 2023, some 2,700 greyhounds died while more than 26,500 injuries were documented.

Many dogs that survive their racing careers are handed over to animal charities, which face the challenge of finding homes for large, anxious animals unaccustomed to domestic life.

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Ms Spencer's own rescue dogs drove her into political activism. She campaigned to shut down the Belle Vue track near her Manchester home, where one of her greyhounds, Olive, had previously raced.

"When I got her, she was really broken," she said of Olive.

Another of her dogs, Judy, spent roughly a decade confined to a kennel solely for breeding purposes.

Her first greyhound, Graham, had been kept in a shed and remained permanently traumatised, terrified of the outside world despite years of care.

Labour received hundreds of thousands of pounds in donations from the gambling industry during the general election campaign, with senior party figures attending lavish events hosted by betting lobbyists.

Ms Spencer questioned the party's impartiality, saying: "That is what opened my eyes to Labour, how lobbied and biased they are.

"Labour MPs will frequently accept really expensive hospitality packages from gambling companies.

"Why would they go for a jolly and go and see a concert at Wembley paid for by the misery of gambling addicts?"

Matt Zarb-Cousin, co-founder of gambling addiction app Gamban, described the assumption that ordinary working people are unconcerned about dog welfare as "a form of class prejudice."

Mark Moisley, commercial director of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain, defended the industry, noting it contributes £164million annually to the economy and employs 5,400 people.

GB News has approached the Labour Party for comment.