Green MSP welcomes Chris Packham support for greyhound racing ban — a campaigner’s turning point
In the run-up to a parliamentary debate, a short public endorsement landed that shifted attention from procedure to principle: chris packham has backed Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell’s bid to ban greyhound racing in Scotland. The statement reframed an otherwise technical bill as a moral test about animal welfare and what kind of sport a modern Scotland will tolerate.
What did Chris Packham say about the bill?
Chris Packham, described in public material as a writer, photographer, campaigner and host of shows like Springwatch and the Really Wild Show, offered a blunt assessment. “A ban would be a tremendous result for animal welfare, for dogs and for Scotland, ” he said. “Times need to change and leaving animal cruelty in the past is an imperative. Greyhound racing with all of its associated misery has no place in 21st century Britain. Wales and England must follow this lead. Hats off to Mark Ruskell and all those who have got us to this point. “
Why are MSPs and welfare groups calling for a ban?
Mark Ruskell, the Scottish Green MSP who introduced the Greyhound Racing (Offences) (Scotland) Bill, welcomed Packham’s support and framed the measure as a response to harm. “Greyhounds are wonderful animals and should not be forced to run at such speed and at so much risk of injury or death, ” Ruskell said. “Every greyhound deserves a happy and healthy life. With the support of Chris and so many people across Scotland we can finally end this cruel gambling-led sport for good. “
Institutional figures cited in public material underline the scale of concern. RSPCA figures show there are only nine countries in the world that still allow commercial greyhound racing, including all four UK nations. Data from 2023 show 109 greyhounds died trackside in the UK and there were 4, 238 injuries to greyhounds during racing in 2023. Those numbers are central to advocates’ argument that the sport causes measurable harm.
What happens next and who disagrees?
The bill was expected to be debated on Thursday, 12 March and has previously won endorsement from the Scottish Government, a step described publicly as key toward enactment. Supporters say parliamentary debate will be the moment when legal change can follow shifting public and institutional opinion.
Not everyone accepts the case for new legislation. A spokesperson for the Greyhound Board of Great Britain said: “There is currently no licensed greyhound racing in Scotland. The people of Scotland will be totally bemused that the SNP government and Green Party are looking to waste parliamentary time in the run up to the election banning something that doesn’t take place here when there are so many issues that deserve and require legislation. ” That comment highlights an argument from opponents that the bill addresses a problem that, in their view, does not have a present footprint in Scotland.
Responses from both sides point to different understandings of the problem: one side grounds its case in welfare figures and the moral language of cruelty, the other frames the measure as misplaced legislative effort. The Scottish Government’s earlier endorsement and Packham’s public backing mean the bill moves forward with high-profile support and clear opposition.
Back in the moment that started this story, the endorsement by chris packham did what endorsements often do: it turned a technical debate into a public story with human voices and concrete numbers. Whether the debate results in a legal ban, or in further contestation over priorities, will be decided in the parliamentary process now underway. For campaigners who framed the issue as a fight to end what they call a gambling-led cruelty, the scene that opened this story will be a measuring point of progress; for opponents, it remains a flashpoint about legislative focus.
Image alt text suggestion: chris packham standing with campaigners supporting the Greyhound Racing (Offences) (Scotland) Bill
