London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has criticised the Government's plans to explore a bid for an Olympic Games in the north of England, describing it as a "missed opportunity" to exclude the capital. Ministers announced on Sunday they would carry out a strategic assessment by UK Sport to examine the costs, socio-economic benefits to the North, and the bid's chance of success for a potential Olympics and Paralympics in the 2040s.
Khan's Spokesperson Voices Concerns
A spokesperson for Sir Sadiq hit out at the plans, stating that excluding London from a future bid would be a missed opportunity. The spokesperson highlighted that London is the sporting capital of the world and that the mayor has openly expressed his ambition for the capital to be part of a future Olympic and Paralympic Games. They added: "Sadiq believes that a potential country-wide bid, using all the assets we have in the UK, including the publicly-owned London Stadium, would deliver the very best possible Olympics. Using London's existing world-class infrastructure would help deliver the greenest and most sustainable Games, as well as unlocking huge economic growth both here in London and around the country. Not including the capital in an Olympics bid would be a missed opportunity, and mean our country fails to unleash the full benefits of a UK-wide games."
Background on London 2012
The capital hosted the last Olympics to be held in the UK, in 2012. During those games, some events, including sailing, rowing, and cycling, were held outside Greater London, showcasing the ability to distribute events across the country.
Northern Ministers Hail Plans
The plans were earlier hailed by two ministers whose constituencies are in the North: Culture Secretary and Wigan MP Lisa Nandy, and Chancellor Rachel Reeves, MP for Leeds West and Pudsey. Ms Nandy said the North had for "too long" been "told the Olympics is simply too big and too important to be hosted in the North." She added: "Not anymore. It's time the Olympics came north and we showed what we can offer to the world. I couldn't be more pleased to announce that we're starting the firing gun on a long overdue vote of confidence in the North." Ms Reeves meanwhile said the Government wanted to use sport to "breathe life into our communities and build a stronger and more secure economy."
Government Support for Major Sporting Events
The groundwork for a potential Olympics bid comes as the Government has laid out a series of recent measures to support major sporting events. This includes appointing Labour peer Lord McConnell as ministerial adviser on soft power and major events, because of the former Scottish first minister's experience in campaigning to take the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow in 2014. The Government has also introduced a Sporting Events Bill to Parliament, which is aimed at making it easier to bid for major sporting events.
The strategic assessment by UK Sport will examine the costs, the socio-economic benefits to the North, and the bid's chance of success. The debate continues as London and the North vie for the opportunity to host a future Olympic Games.
