Although Britain’s Sports Minister Richard Caborn has called for a national debate on whether London should stage the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, and the British Olympic Association (BOA) has said that London would be the only city to bid for the event, a Blackley MP is pressing for Manchester to host the Games.
Graham Stringer, who was leader of Manchester’s city council when the city twice bid for the Olympics, has written to Britain’s Prime Minister and the head of the BOA urging them to rethink the matter.
Stringer believes there should be an open competition between any cities who want to hold the Olympics and urges that the changing nature of the International Olympic Committee means there is more chance of another British city other than London winning enough support.
Stringer said, “I believe if this country is to bid for the Olympic Games again, then in order to maximize national support, the bidding city should be chosen by a competitive process. The government should insist that the BOA has an open competition.
“Since the BOA’s decision only to support a London bid the composition of the IOC has changed considerably, not least because corrupt members have been expelled and the selection process has also changed”.
Simon Clegg, chief executive of BOA, replied to Stringer saying “following this country’s failed bids the BOA conduced a review of the constituency, namely the IOC members, and found that only London among U.K. cities would stand an even chance of securing the required number of votes to gain the nomination”.
