Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham says their Olympics proposal is “nothing against the capital” (Image: Dan Kitwood, Getty Images)
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, is among 11 political leaders advocating that any future UK-hosted Summer Olympic Games happen in Northern England. London 2012 gold medallist and current Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire, Luke Campbell, is also backing the proposal.
Joining the politicians is Sir Brendan Foster, founder of the Great North Run and former Olympic long-distance runner. A mayoral-led collaboration named ‘The Great North’ has penned a letter to Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who was in Italy this weekend for the Winter Olympics.
Northern leaders are now expressing their desire for future Games not to be held in London. The capital has hosted three previous Olympics, and could become the first-ever four-time host city.
As revealed by The Sunday Times, ‘The Great North’ letter states: “A northern-based Olympic Games is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accelerate regeneration, rebalance the economy, and reset international perceptions of England.”
It asserts: “This is also a question of fairness and credibility. If the UK is serious about rebalancing growth, a Games hosted in and across the north would send a clear signal – domestically and internationally – that opportunity, ambition and national pride are shared.”
The Times also quotes a source related to the plotted bid. They said: “It’s time that people stop thinking about the north as a post-industrial bleak landscape. It’s not. It’s full of vibrant, amazing cities, and beautiful settings and landscapes, which could be used to host the biggest sports event on earth and showcase the north of England to the world.”
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Olympic Rings and Lee Valley VeloPark at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (Image: UCG, UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Kim McGuinness, the mayor of the North East and chair of The Great North, added: “The North of England has a sporting history and prowess like no other place, and we are united in our belief that our region could host a box office, world-leading Olympic Games.” London 2012 led to £4 billion of investment in the capital, which the group hopes can be replicable across Northern England.
Burnham also commented: “A lot of work and thought has gone into this, and it feels very of the moment. There has been some suggestion that the country was looking at another London bid, but that wouldn’t be fair or right. And that’s nothing against the capital. It hosted an unforgettable Olympics, and I look back at it quite wistfully, actually, remembering what the country used to be like and how much it has changed. It’s about recapturing that vibrancy and positivity for the north of England. That’s what Britain needs right now. If you set this ambition, the north will rise to it in the most breathtaking way.”
Campbell echoes a similar sentiment, reflecting on how London 2012 “brought the country together”. The former bantamweight boxer stated: “Everything in this country is so focused on London, but England isn’t just about red buses and telephone boxes; this is our chance to show us off to the world.”
Foster, who clinched bronze in the 10,000 metres at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, asserts, “It’s time the north stops getting the crumbs, and gets the cake instead.” South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard declares: “The north can put on a show, we can take on the world’s biggest cultural festival and make a success of it.”