Tessa Jowell – the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport – joined key figures including three-time Olympic gold medallist Matthew Pinsent and London Mayor Ken Livingstone at a debate organised by The Observer last night to discuss whether Britain should bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Jowell, who will present her case to next Thursday’s crucial meeting of Cabinet, said that the ultimate decision depended on whether four key points could be satisfactorily answered – deliverability, affordability, winnability and the legacy benefits.
"I would love the Olympics to come to London," Jowell explained. "It could be great for London and indeed the rest of the country. But my job at this stage is not to be a cheerleader but a sceptic – a hard-nosed and inquiring realist.
"If we bid, I want to know that I can answer every single point that can be raised by the bid’s detractors. If we in Government support a bid, we will be 100% behind it because if we’re not, then you severely reduce the chances of winning.
"If we don’t bid, it will be because the risks are too great."
The Minister was joined on stage by a number of other key figures including Ken Livingstone, one of the bid’s strongest advocates. The Mayor said that London – the world’s "natural Olympic city" – would be more than willing to pay its fair share for staging the Games, adding that many of the costs attributed to the Olympics is money that would be spent anyway.
"Even if there isn’t an Olympics, we are about to redevelop east London," the Mayor explained. "If you are spending those billions anyway, why not add in the Olympics? We are the only city in the world for whom the Olympics is an add-on to the money you’re already going to spend."
The Mayor’s enthusiasm was countered by Barrie Houlihan, Director of Sports Development at Loughborough University, who questioned whether winning medals on home soil was so important, adding that there was little or no evidence to suggest that hosting an Olympics provides a long-term boost to participation.
"It’s how many medals we win, not where we win them," Houlihan said. "Were the medals in Sydney devalued because they were won in Australia?"
Three-time Olympic rowing champion Matthew Pinsent was quick to disagree. The International Olympic Committee member said that the Games is a life-changing experience for the athletes, coaches, spectators and arguably the host city itself.
"Bidding for and winning the Games for London would provide a stamp of authenticity, a reason for dedication and a sporting impetus for a generation of young people," Pinsent added.