Rural watchdog bites back at horse tax

Rural watchdog body, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), has reacted with anger to a proposed equine ’poll tax’.

Every horse and pony in the country could now be liable for the hoof tax and under the proposals, millions of riders, trainers and breeders will be forced to pay at least £10.50 a year for every horse they own.

Labour claims the levy, which would generate more than £6.8 million per year, will help fund a £56-million animal-health quango to improve the way outbreaks of disease are handled in the countryside.

Leicestershire based CLA equine expert, Sylvia Hull said: "After forcing equine folk to buy horse passports and to have our mounts injected with microchips, you might have thought even this government would have left it there. Unfortunately it appears Labour ministers carry on thinking, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that all people who own horses are Hooray Henrys who can afford this animal poll tax.

"Even if you are not one of Britain’s 4.3 million riders, you should join the campaign against this insidious tax because an important principle is at stake: hobbies should not be a form of means testing."

The campaign, launched by a coalition of organisations representing a broad cross section of the UK horse industry, is calling on riders, breeders and veterinarians to make their voices heard by visiting a new campaign website – http://www.RethinktheHorseTax.org – and take action by writing to their constituency MPs and by signing an online petition to the Prime Minister.

The CLA’s Market Harborough based Sylvia Hull added: "Ministers may claim today that the threat of disease requires a tax on riding, but tomorrow it could just as easily be a levy on classic-car owners to combat vehicle fraud."