In adulthood, there are few events which rekindle the childlike excitement and breathless anticipation that Christmas or a birthday party prompted when you were a child. This week, I feel that tingle again as I think about the Olympics. I am beyond excited about the fact that the event that has always kept me glued to the telly even while a brief British summer went on around me is now going to happen in my capital city.
I know there are some who don’t share my enthusiasm, but let me try to convince you.
First, it was our government ‘wot won it’! I can remember the ministerial committee meetings where Tessa Jowell forced those present to lift their heads from our stifling departmental briefings about all the problems to see the opportunity in making a bid. She did this while also maintaining an iron grip on the costs and other requirements.
Didn’t you feel proud when Tony Blair, Tessa Jowell and, yes, Ken Livingstone too, managed to persuade the rest of the world that London could host the greatest sporting event in the world? And their message about London and the bid was fashioned from our values too – that the diversity of our capital is its strength; that we wanted to bring regeneration and investment to an area of the City which the market had left behind; that we could create a legacy of sporting opportunity which went far beyond the elite athletes taking part in the Games. The last of these may have fallen somewhat by the wayside under this government, but I still expect there to be people prompted to get more active and take up sports because of the Olympic effect. Apparently British cycling success has already boosted membership of cycling clubs – and that’s before Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome and Mark Cavendish thrilled even those of us who’ve never watched the Tour de France before.
Second, we have delivered pretty much what was promised so far: the venues built on time and under budget; thousands of volunteers of all ages; a torch relay which managed to touch people who won’t be able to get anywhere near the actual games. Even the crassness of the sponsors’ buses couldn’t dull the community buzz and enthusiasm when the torch went past the end of my road.
As home secretary, I was involved in the earliest stages of the security planning. The G4S ‘contribution’ is a shambles, but I know the security planning and execution overall will be among the best in the world.
Finally, some people argue that sporting excellence is the epitome of individual effort. I disagree. When we see British gold medals in the coming weeks, they will be built on a strong team of support, meticulous planning and usually some public money too. So collective organisation and funding leads to an individual achieving the best they can. That’s our politics, isn’t it?
I was disappointed to read that foreign journalists are making a theme of our grumbling about the Games. I know we have a healthy British scepticism, but do we really want this to translate into an international picture of Britain as a bunch of whingers?
My dad went to the 1948 London Olympics. In a fortnight I’ll be taking him back to the 2012 London Olympics. He’s excited too. For most of us, however, this really will be a once-in-a-lifetime event – let’s make it a showcase for the best of British values and pride. There’s plenty of time for grumbling in September!
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Jacqui Smith is former home secretary, writes the Monday Politics column for Progress, and tweets @smithjj62
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No grumbling presumably also means:
1) No complaining about the idiotic conduct of G4S or the drafting in of police officers or troops who have seen their numbers slashed
2) No complaining about the ludicrously draconian rules regarding advertising and key words, meaning local businesses can’t say “London”, “summer” etc for fear of being taken to court
3) No complaining about having Dow Chemicals as partners despite their appalling environmental record and failure to take responsibility for clearing up after Bhopal, nearly 30 years on
Don’t get me wrong, I hope that the athletes and those who come to watch them have a fantastic time over the 17 days. But I don’t see appreciating the efforts of participants as being mutually exclusive from highlighting and criticising the less palatable elements of the Games’ organisation. We should take pride, but only in those things that are worth taking pride in.
Your reasons:
1) Pride in Britain
2) Pride in Britain
3) Pride in Britain
All three are terrible reasons to support this colossal waste of money that serves only to obscure a vast number of injustices. Its justification proceeds only through illegitimate perfectionist reasoning and even this is faulty on its own terms.
Yes, absolutely!
And thank you for all the jobs it created the process.
And we should be proud that it came in on time; proud that minorities and women get to play their part; proud that we can show our British quirky individuality; proud to show who we are. There is absolutely no point in indulgently moaning our way through it and spoiling it for everyone, and spoiling the benefits that might come from it.
So, thank you Jacqui.
You are right that we should stop the moaning. The time for a proper critical appraisal of the Olympics, and the claimed benefits it brings, would have been before and during the bid process not after we have spent all of the money. It is only now that we are beginning to hear in public that there is no evidence that holding the Olympics provides lasting economic benefits or boosts physical activity amongst the population at large.
I am not moaning today but the Americans who bought tickets from Cosport are (they could only buy from this organisation who Mitt Romney ran out of town some years back.) I am indifferent to the Olympics. My sports are road running where you run against yourself, cross country skiing and hill walking where you take on Nature, and sailing where you play with nature to go places. One salient aspect of the last three is that sometimes Nature wins.
Well written. Leave the negative moaners till afterwards, when the weather has changed…to a very hot Indian summer….LOL
all very nice ;london get,s £10 billion, whilst a labour council closes our local swimming pool ; these are the realities of britain today ;which makes it very difficult to be upbeat,
once again the money has gone to the capital,. while the rest of us struggle on???????
Grumbling? Who’s grumbling? Everyone I know is universally delighted by the whole event. Splendid posters on our lampposts; keen but friendly competition about who gets tickets for what; epic drama by Group 4; and even some real journalism from the Daily Mail.
Surely for all these goodies, we can put up with a little temporary inconvenience? After all, who really cares if the Highcog insist the media bleep-out out references to L*nd*n, *lymp*cs, *nsp*r* a gen*r*tion and Pep** Co**.
I’m sure that if enough people are desperate to reach the other side of London we will find buses ready to take us to Frinton and Margate. Where a flotilla of small boats will ferry us to and fro.
And how many countries would have allowed a BBC camera team full access into a sensitive and huge public project like this for a fly-on-the-wall documentary? And then to broadcast an uncensored warts-n-all record of events day-by-day as Hugh Bonneville and Jessica Hynes steer the event to a successful conclusion.
badminton, athletics, diving & dressage for me!
Jacqui is right we need to talk up these Olympics.
Winning them was an exceptional moment for a Labour Government and let’s not forget that it was Labour figures who had a major impact in delivering crucial votes in the runup to the decision whilst France was shooting itself in the foot.
The Olympics should be above party politics but at the same time as Labour members I believe we shouldn’t miss any opportunity to remind people that we were the party who delivered this once in a lifetime event.
Only labour helped win the bid? Really?
I’d be more exited but am working every other week in London, because of the games. Some O/T but I know (1st week was last week) it’ll be damned hard work. Got to be done and all and I’m not the only one, there will be 1000s of us, just means it wont be 7 weeks of cheering for us.
Hope it goes smoothly, and everyone enjoys it.
I couldn’t agree more. Meticulous planning, team work, drive and vision. A winning formula in both politics and sport.