Jowell highlights Olympics risk

by Catherine Woods - Wednesday, 11th June 2008 -

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell has admitted backing the 2012 Games is one of the riskiest things the government is doing given the ₤9.325bn of public money it’s stumping up to help fund the event.

Jowell said that's further complicated by procurement and delivery “because of the heightened risk created by the fixed timescale – the stadium has to be ready for the opening ceremony – but also because of the level of public expectation and also the growing obligation to mount more than just 17 days of great sport”.

Jowell said while she appreciates that sport is the focus for organiser Sebastian Coe, the government's obligations are slightly different. “They bring into focus what I think is the interesting and important relationship between government and the many business partners who make this possible,” she said.

“The government has to be able to demonstrate a public interest case for investment on this scale and that is justified by legacy, by what an Olympic Games leaves behind. We’ve made bolder, more specific, earlier legacy commitments than any other host city in the Olympic Games’ history.”

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