Lisa Nandy has told the House of Commons that the north of England has "so much to offer" as the UK explores hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the 2040s. The Culture Secretary described the bid as "personal" to her, recalling how Manchester's attempt to host the 2000 Games failed when she was growing up.
Speaking during a debate on the Sporting Events Bill, the Wigan MP said she is "determined to make sure the rest of the world gets the chance to see" the north shine. London has previously hosted the Olympics three times, in 1908, 1948 and 2012.
Funding and personal connection
The comments follow last week's Budget, in which Chancellor John Healey announced a £7m fund to explore hosting the Olympics and Paralympics during the 2040s. Ms Nandy said: "This is personal for me, I grew up in the north of England, in Manchester, and I watched as we unsuccessfully bid for the Olympic Games many, many years ago."
She added: "I watched many people across the country tell us it couldn’t be done, that Manchester couldn’t host major sporting events and then only a few years later, we went on to host a really successful Commonwealth Games and show the world how it was done."
"Every part of this country deserves the chance to contribute to our incredibly rich legacy in major sporting events. We believe the north of England has so much to offer and we are determined to make sure the rest of the world gets the chance to see that."
Wider sporting ambitions
During the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, several events were hosted outside the capital, including football matches in Newcastle, Manchester, Cardiff, Coventry and Glasgow, sailing in Weymouth and Dorset, and mountain biking at Hadleigh Farm in Essex.
In addition to the Olympic aspirations, Ms Nandy said the UK has launched bids to host the 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2029 World Para Athletics Championships. She continued: "Underpinning all of this is a belief that the benefits of hosting major events should not be confined to the host city or to those fortunate enough to secure a ticket."
"They should be felt in towns, in cities, in our schools and sports clubs, and in communities across all four nations of the UK, and inspire a generation of young people to go on and live the richer, larger lives they deserve." She added that the Bill would enable the UK "to stand ready to host the biggest events in the world, to protect the integrity of those events to ensure that people can enjoy them, and make certain that the benefits reach as far as possible".
Legislative progress
The proposed legislation has been modelled on bespoke laws passed for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, as a framework for future events. When passed, it will give ministers the power to regulate trading, advertising, and transport near venues hosting the competitions.
The Bill has been debated by peers in the Lords and cleared the Commons at a third reading on Wednesday. Both Houses of Parliament must now agree on the final wording of the Bill before it becomes law.
