THE British Horseracing Authority [BHA] looks set for a major shake-up following confirmation this week that Lord (Charles) Allen will start work in his post as chair of the regulator from September 1st. The Labour peer was due to take up the role on June 2nd, but his tenure was delayed as the BHA said he wished to “continue meeting stakeholders to better inform his vision for the sport”.

The BHA board currently has an independent chair, four independent directors and four member-nominated directors – two from the racecourses and two nominated by the sport’s participants – but Allen wants to change that arrangement and have a fully independent board.

This will mean there will no longer be representatives from the Racecourse Association [RCA], Racehorse Owners Association [ROA] or Thoroughbred Breeders Association [TBA] on the board. There also won’t be a trainer or any “licensed personnel” on the board if Allen has his way.

Following a meeting in London this week, where the BHA board met to discuss Allen’s response to the submissions of stakeholders regarding proposed governance changes, it was agreed that work should now start towards the establishment of a single independent board of directors, which will oversee a single BHA executive led by a CEO.

Lord Allen said: “I am delighted we have agreed to a process towards a new independent BHA board, and I look forward to formally starting in September.

“Horseracing has a strong future. There is work to do, but I am in no doubt as to the passion and commitment of the many thousands of people who make up our industry.”

Lord Allen succeeds Joe Saumarez Smith who was winding down as chairman when he died from cancer last February. A prominent businessman, Lord Allen has experience in the financial and commercial sectors, government, broadcast, international companies and global sports events. He oversaw London’s bid for the 2012 Olympics and was board director on the organising committee. He was knighted in 2012.

In 2012, he was appointed by Ed Miliband to the position of chairman of the management board of the Labour Party. In 2013 he was made a Life Peer, taking the title Baron Allen of Kensington.

He began a distinguished career in broadcasting and media with Granada TV in 1991 before going on to have senior roles in leading companies in the sector including EMI, Virgin Media and Endemol. He is currently chairman of Global Media and Entertainment Limited.

With the BHA now under new leadership, expectations will be high that Allen can help steer the sport through evolving times. This week’s announcement comes at a crucial time, as racing faces commercial challenges, political scrutiny and proposed reforms to betting taxation – with the British government exploring a shift to a single unified gaming duty.

This could see a combination of existing tax systems which currently stands at 21% for remote gaming duty, 15% for general ‘fixed odds’ betting duty, 10% for spread bets, and 3% for financial spread bets, and pool betting duty. The prospect of a consolidated betting tax has sparked intense debate across the gambling and racing industries, with supporters and critics voicing strong opinions on what such a move could mean for the future of the sport. The BHA is leading a campaign to stop the proposed tax hike which they say will take £330 million out of racing over five years and put almost 3,000 jobs at risk immediately.