The political leaders have urged the government to ensure any future UK Olympic and Paralympic bid would be based in the North of England.
‘BBC’ stated that the regional representatives including the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and the London 2012 gold- medalist-turned Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire Luke Campbell, said there was a “compelling” case for the North to host the event.
The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, was an international multisport event held from July 27th-August 12th, 2012 in London, England (UK).
‘BBC’ further stated that under the banner of The Great North Partnership all the 11 leaders have written to the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy saying a bid rooted in the North would be a “fairer redistribution of major events across the country”.
The Great North Partnership is a major Mayoral-led collaboration in the United Kingdom launched in May 2025 by the Northern Mayors to boost economic growth, investment and productivity across the North. Covering areas from the North West to Yorkshire and the North East it aims to elevate the region’s influence targeting £118bn in economic growth by focusing on clean energy, manufacturing and infrastructure.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said any future bid would be decided by the British Olympic Association rather than the Government.
London (UK)-based the British Olympic Association is the National Olympic Committee for the United Kingdom. It represents not only the four countries of the United Kingdom but also represents the athletes of the three Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man and eight of the 11 inhabited British Overseas Territories.
In a statement the Partnership said the North “already has many of the foundations in place to deliver a world-class Games including the elite sporting venues, the major stadia and arenas, the established transport hubs, the accommodation capacity, and the world-class broadcast and creative capability. The Northern Mayors and the Leaders believe a Games anchored in the North would represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accelerate regeneration, rebalance the economy and reset international perceptions of England. It could act as a catalyst for long-term investment in transport, skills, housing, and grassroots sport and cultural infrastructure with benefits lasting well beyond the closing ceremony.”
In their letter they called for the Government to “agree in principle” to any future bid being “anchored in the North of England” as well as to support preparatory and feasibility work around a future bid and to “align early on the legacy objectives” of any bid.
Campbell, who was elected as the first Mayor for Hull and East Yorkshire last year, said winning the boxing gold for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic Team (Team GB) at London 2012 was “one of the proudest moments of my life”.
He added, “Bringing the Olympics to the North isn’t just about sport. It’s about giving our kids something to aim for creating real opportunities and showing the world what this part of the country has to offer.”
Mayor Burnham said he was “confident our bid would make for a compelling proposition. Much of the infrastructure is already in place, our facilities are second-to-none and we have a track record of hosting major global events.”
London hosted the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics but the Games did not appear to create the legacy many had hoped for.
The North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said North of England could host a “box office, world-leading Olympic Games. As the Mayors and the Leaders we are ready to deliver. Now we need the national Government and the sporting bodies to match our ambition. The Olympics would be our moment for the North to stand tall on the international stage.”
The West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said a Northern Olympics “would be a real catalyst for investment, jobs, opportunity, and true national renewal”.
In a joint statement Jonathan Brook, the Leader of Westmorland and Furness Council, and Mark Fryer, the Leader of Cumberland Council, said, “We stand ready to engage with the Government on working up a proposal that could have generational impact and legacy for our entire region and the country as a whole.”
Stated Steve Rotheram, Mayor, Liverpool City Region, “A Games rooted in the North would be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to bring the Olympics closer to the ordinary communities that have too often felt like they’ve been left out of the national story.”
A Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) spokesperson said the Government wanted to continue the United Kingdom’s “world-leading reputation” for hosting major sporting events.
The spokesperson added, “We will continue to work closely with our expert arm’s-length body – the UK Sport – to identify opportunities that will strengthen the UK’s major events pipeline.”
London (UK)-based the UK Sport is the United Kingdom’s high-performance sport experts powering the greatest athletes, sports and events towards lasting success. Since 1997, the UK Sport has helped invest the National Lottery and the Government Exchequer funding to transform Britain’s elite sporting system. Helping the UK win more Olympic and Paralympic medals than ever before and become recognized as one of the top destinations for major events. The UK Sport mission is to create the greatest decade of extraordinary sporting moments and thus reaching, inspiring and uniting the nation.
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