Chesterfield MP, Toby Perkins, is once again backing the Ashgate Hospice a £50 charity bet on the 2023 Grand National, with all the winnings going to support the brilliant work of the Hospice.

Toby was invited by the Betting & Gaming Council to visit the Ladbrokes shop in Hasland to place his charity bet – with Toby taking a punt on ‘Longhouse Poet’ at 14/1 – but even if Toby’s horse doesn’t come in, Ladbrokes will be making a donation to Ashgate Hospice to ensure the charity does not miss out.

Toby Perkins MP said:

“The Grand National is one of those great sporting moments when the whole nation comes together. I was delighted to visit my local betting shop to meet the staff and customers, take Ladbrokes up on their generous offer of a charity bet and also discuss the incredibly important work they have been doing on safer gambling.

I will once again be selecting the brilliant Ashgate Hospice to be the beneficiary should I be lucky enough that my horse wins. Almost everyone in Chesterfield has had cause to be thankful to the Hospice for their care of a friend or family member. It is a really important charity that holds a special place in the heart of Chesterfield.

I will be backing Longhouse Poet – I have picked this horse for two reasons. One, my grandfather was the poet, John Pudney, whose poetry was very popular during World War II. I often read his poems at remembrance services and veterans events and his work is something that has always inspired me and made me feel proud. The second reason is that Longhouse Poet was a horse I had my eye on last year. He came in sixth in 2022 and I just fancy him to surprise people and have an even better race this year.”

The Grand National is the most popular horse race in the world and this year takes place on Saturday 15th April. It is watched by an around 600 million people across 140 countries, and it is estimated over 13m adults in the UK will be placing a bet on it. Betting shops support 42,000 jobs on the UK’s hard-pressed high streets, contribute £800 million a year in tax to the Treasury and another £60m in business rates to local councils. Meanwhile, a study by ESA Retail found that 89 per cent of betting shop customers combine their trip to the bookies with visits to other local businesses.

Michael Dugher, Chief Executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, stated:

“Millions of people, from all different backgrounds, will be coming together to watch the Grand National and place a bet on the world’s most famous horserace.

Betting shops support tens of thousands of jobs, bring vital revenue to the UK’s hard-pressed high streets and support the national and local economies through tax and business rates. They also provide community to millions of betting and gaming fans.

I also want to say a huge thanks to all MPs, including Toby, who have made the time and effort to meet with their local constituents working in high street shops, for backing so many good causes and local charities, and for promoting the Grand National which remains one of Britain’s biggest and best cultural and sporting events seen around the world”.

Toby added:

“The National is a fantastic spectacle that creates real excitement across the country and is an important part of our sporting heritage, but it has also been a cause of controversy because of horse injuries, so I do feel a little more conflicted about it now. I would potentially like to see some changes to the race to provide better protection for horses. I’m sure this could be achieved whilst maintaining the grandness and competitiveness of the race.”