In a letter of support for London’s 2012 bid written to 300 delegates at a conference being held in London Monday outlining the benefits of hosting the Olympics, the BBC reports that Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair told the business delegates “having carefully examined the hosting experience of other countries, this government believes a London Olympics is a prize worth fighting for”.
He also said he was “determined to do all I can to bring those Games to the United Kingdom”.
Blair said he visited the Athens 2004 Games not only to support British athletes but to understand better the impact hosting can have on a city and a nation.
“I returned convinced that hosting a Games could bring unparalleled social and economic benefits to the UK”, wrote Blair.
According to the BBC Blair wrote, “the economic benefits are clear. An Olympic Games hosted in London would create significant opportunities for companies up and down the UK in sectors as diverse as construction, tourism , merchandise, catering, design and IT”.
He wrote, “training the workforce to meet those opportunities will reap benefits in years to come particularly as UK companies develop their own Olympic experience that can be exported across the globe after 2012. The cultural and social benefits are also exciting. We would be welcoming the world to this country during an Olympic Games. The creation of a huge volunteer movement to support the Games will provide working opportunities and training for thousands”.
