The North of England plan to bid for the 2040 Olympics

A group of political leaders have advised the British government to consider cities in the North of England for any future bids to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the UK.  

This came in the form of a letter from The Great North – a collection of mayors and leaders based in Northern England – written to Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

In this letter, The Great North outline three key proposals for the government to consider:

1. Agree in principle that any future UK Olympic and Paralympic bid is anchored in the North of England.
2. Support proportionate feasibility and preparatory work in partnership with Northern Mayors and Leaders.
3. Align early on the legacy objectives of any bid, ensuring long-term benefit for Northern communities, including a plan to redistribute more major events to the North as a catalyst for jobs, regeneration and attracting more visitors.

The Mayors of many major cities in the North have co-signed this letter, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire and former Olympic champion Luke Campbell MBE and North East Mayor and Chair of The Great North Kim McGuinness.

“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,” said McGuinness. “As Mayors and leaders we are ready to deliver, now we need national Government and sporting bodies to match our ambition: The Olympics would be our moment for the North to stand tall on the international stage.”

Northern England is already home to many of the essential requirements needed to host the Olympic Games. These include elite sporting venues, large-scale arenas and stadiums, established transport links and a large capacity for accommodation.

The opportunity to host such a large-scale international event would help to accelerate regeneration within the North, which has suffered from lack of investment compared to the South for many decades. It would allow for major, long-lasting improvements to be made to transport, skills, housing, grassroots sport and cultural infrastructure.