Yesterday I went to Parliament and attended the Commons cross-party Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee hearing. It was an oral evidence session on the Department’s Annual Report 2008 and responsibilities of the Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP. In front of the Committee’s panel members, including Janet Anderson MP, Alan Keen MP and Chairman John Whittingdale MP, Mr. Burnham had to account for his Department’s actions and achievements.
It was an interesting session overall that covered a wide range of issues. Mr. Burnham answered questions about tourism, ticket touting, the music industry and gambling. And not surprisingly, one of the main issues raised was the London 2012 Olympics. When asked what he thought about the negative press surrounding the British Games, Mr. Burnham answered, ‘Some people are unduly and unnecessarily whingeing about the whole thing’. To be fair, he was not implying that the Government should not be exempt from scrutiny, but rather felt there had been too much energy focused on a single issue: the price tag of the Games.
The Secretary of State talked about the sense of excitement he hopes will be instilled in the country when the Olympic flame is passed onto London Mayor Boris Johnson at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Games. He explained how hosting the Olympics was a tremendous and unique opportunity to breathe new energy into promoting sport, culture and tourism in the UK.
Of course the cost of the Games needs to be controlled and well-managed. But it is shame that so much negativity has already been shed on London 2012. Just now, I did a quick Google news search for ‘London 2012’ and the majority of articles that came up were not very inspiring to say the least. Hosting the Olympics is an opportunity that doesn’t come along every day, and I hope as Mr. Burnham said that the ‘country can become united around sport’. This world-class event can change the way young people view sport and physical activity in general. Now that would be a legacy to be proud of!
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Well done for sitting through it - did you last the full two and a half hours?
My view is that Andy Burnham is a decent guy but terribly cautious. He is unwilling to commit himself or stray too far from his lines to take. His answer to most of our questions was to stick to his briefing but say he would think about it.
On the Olympics, inevitably we as a Committee will focus on the problem areas. I have no doubt that the Games will be a fantastic few weeks and prove very popular. However, the bill is far greater than we were originally led to believe and the cost continues to escalate. It is also right that we focus on the legacy of the Games and on trying to ensure that the benefits are felt outside London.
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