The mayor of London has criticised plans for the north of England to mount a bid for the Olympic Games, warning that excluding the capital would be a “missed opportunity”. Sadiq Khan’s comments come after ministers commissioned an assessment by UK Sport into a potential bid for the 2040s, which would be the first Games in Britain since London 2012.
A spokesman for Khan said the mayor had “openly expressed his ambition for the capital to be part of a future Olympic and Paralympic Games”. He argued that a country-wide bid using existing assets, including the publicly owned London Stadium, “would deliver the very best possible Olympics” and help unlock economic growth across the UK. “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,” the spokesman added.
The strategic assessment will examine costs, socioeconomic benefits to the north, and the bid’s chances of success. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, whose Wigan constituency is in the north, welcomed the plans, saying: “It’s time the Olympics came north and we showed what we can offer to the world.” Chancellor Rachel Reeves, MP for Leeds West and Pudsey, said the government was “throwing our full support behind bringing the Games back home” to boost the northern growth corridor and support stadium regeneration projects like Elland Road.
The groundwork for a potential bid coincides with government measures to support major sporting events, including the appointment of former Scottish First Minister Lord McConnell as a ministerial adviser on soft power and major events, and the introduction of a sporting events bill to make bidding easier. London has hosted the Summer Olympics three times – in 1908, 1948 and 2012 – while Los Angeles will host the 2028 Games.
