Diktat from MUK

[Paul N-M]

Alan,
I appreciate thats how you see things but there is a much bigger picture to all of this. We all want subs never to go up, a bit like we dont like taxes to go up. However we must face up to the reality of the situation. I am not an apologist for MSUK nor do I have any direct involvement other than being a licence holder just like you. For a veriery of reasons I recently did make it my business to be better informed re the changes taking place and as it happens I did meet with Hugh Chambers which reafirmed my own thoughts on what was planned was the correct way forward.
No one ever said motorsport was cheap in any form. Most grass roots events rely on clubs and volunteers. The demographics cleary show we will run out of volunteers unless we get youngsters in to replace them. For many grass roots events, trials, sprints, hill climbs, its the same story, very little uptake from youngsters. If we want to expand the sport we need to be higher profile, expanding the sport helps with volunteer recruitment. That also means training input, etc. etc. 
This all costs money. 
I for one am happy to support their plans as I know from my own experience that if you don't invest in the future you are in serious danger of not having one. Then what would we have to say? Something like 'a blind man with a glass eye in his ar$e could see they should have been more forward thinking' or even more prophane!!!
It seems that till people no longer have it they only realise what they have lost.


Paul N-M

[Alan]

Paul, don’t talk down to me. A 55% increase in subs, at a few days notice and with no consultation does not strike me as a professional way of conducting a business.

[Paul N-M]

Alan
Apologies of you took my comments as patronising, certainly not intended as such. I'm just trying to explain how I see the situation and the importance, as I see it, of securing a long term future.
If you have issues with the way this has been comunicated to licence holders then comminicate that to MSUK, you may not be alone. 
I was certainly involved on a survey via SMS (Scottish Motor Sport) though looking at what was happening specifically in Scotland, I'm sure the findings were passed on to MSUK and braodly reflected the situation as a whole in the UK. Don't know if this/similar happened in the rest of the UK.

Paul N-M

[geoffharrison]

My postman handed me the MSUK licence renewal pack yesterday , and as he competes  in a Mazda MX-5 in speed events , I asked  him what he thought of the changes .
Due to the licence and probable event entry fee increases he will be now c in the Jave!in sprint
series joining his colleagues . Lower entry fees , less stringent class and safety requirements , better value
for money . 
The Javelin events have been a thorn in the side of MSUK for some time  and the current changes will not 
stop the drift.
Unfortunately Alan and I can't enter our Austin 7's so we just have to accept the increases .
Not one of MSUK'S better ideas.

[Alan]

Actually Geoff we don’t have to accept the increase in licence fees. I compete with a NatA (open) licence. The new equivalent of this is £80 more than the NatB I will run with in future. So, in trying to increase my costs by 55 quid, all the MUK have achieved is a very disgruntled competitor and a loss to themselves of said 80 quid.

[Mike Costigan]

That's OK, Alan, they are achieving their stated aim of reducing competitors' costs and making competing more attractive!   Meanwhile they have made it less likely that I will return to motoring competition ...

[geoffharrison]

I downgraded my licence many years ago as I didn't think it worth the cost and I was unlikely to 
compete abroad  or. compete in  events where a Nat A was required  will apply for the  Non Race Nat B replacement.
Today's Autosport devotes 3 pages to the topic and don't seem convinced , especially comments from 
event organisers being distinctly negative .
Geoff

[Tony Press]

Steve, I am surprised in the UK that there has't been a peak body of Motorsport with affiliated Car Clubs as members with the Peak Body affiliated with the FIA. Here in Australia a body known as "The Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS), has been in Australia since 1952? The Austin 7 Club in South Australia and The Austin 7 Club in Victoria are just two of the initial Clubs from around Australia to join. Previous the Automobile Clubs in each State controlled Motorsport, also affiliated with FIA. All Affiliated clubs apply to CAMS for a permit to run an event whether it be a Motorkhana, Staight Line Sprint ,Hillclimb, Circuit Sprint, Road Trials, Mud Sprints, Observed Section Trials, Road Rallies,  Rally Navigators, and Superkarts. The Competitors must have a CAMS Competition Licence which range from $70 to $500 and there are 22 different Licences. I think you get the picture that beauracarts are just around the corner and now CAMS are going to change there name to MOTOR SPORT AUSTRALIA on the 1st. January 2020. CAMS claim to have 27,000 active Licence holders, 11,000 Licenced  Officials and 600 Affiliated Clubs n Australia.

Don't forget the 'other' group 'licencing' Motor Sport in Australia - AASA who reduce costs compared to CAMS (MSA)

[Stuart Giles]

Got my renewal paperwork yesterday from MSA/MUK. There was some interesting text in their introductory letter "we need to act now, or potentially see a further decline in both licence holders and events" I suppose I'm lucky in that my licence renewal has only gone up by 40% or thereabouts. But a swingeing increase in licence fees is a very strange way to stop or reduce the decline the decline in licence holder numbers.

Re. the licence increases and general monetisation of motorsport that's apparent in their latest publicity, it's difficult to conclude that the MSA/MUK focus isn't on the people with season budgets which were a very long way into 5 figures that I came across when I competed in some MSA national championship rounds a few years ago.

[Douglas Alderson]

I have been following with interest the discussion.  I did wonder why some months ago I had an email from them asking if I use and promoting the discount you get with the licence.  I guess they where trying to soften the blow of the increase that was comming.