MPs debated the latest petition calling for changes in firework law. H&H follows the debate, and seeks welfare charities’ and campaigners’ views
THE MP of a constituency where a horse died from stress caused by fireworks said a safety campaign is “not enough”, as the Government states a ban on firework sales could have “unintended consequences”.
A parliament debate on 2 November followed the 2019 petition calling for a ban on the sale of fireworks to the public, which received more than 305,579 signatures.
{"content":"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"}
One use
Credit: Vecthom Sporthorses
She was standing on her own, mourning her foal”
Credit: Dave Carter
A petition calling for a ban on public use of fireworks has topped 104,500 signatures in five weeks
Credit: Dave Carter
A petition calling for the use of fireworks to be restricted was debated in parliament, after it garnered more than
Credit: Future
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2025 with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
H&H senior news writer
Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
