Burnham backs north of England Games bid

The English prime minister supports plans to bring the Olympics and Paralympics back to the UK, with £7 million (€8m) in funding set to be unveiled in next week's budget as the government explores the possibility of hosting both events come 2040.

The £7m (€8m) investment will support an initial assessment of a potential Olympic and Paralympic bid, alongside a wider commitment to champion sport throughout the United Kingdom. A comprehensive feasibility study is expected to be announced by Chancellor John Healey in Wednesday's budget. It will examine how a successful Northern Games could be staged and assess the likelihood of securing hosting rights.

The government commissioned an initial assessment from United Kingdom Sport in May, before Andy Burnham became prime minister, to consider the potential for bringing the international sporting event to the country. Following that preliminary work, the government has now committed £7m (€8m) to a more detailed evaluation of a possible future bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The UK last hosted the Olympics and Paralympics in London in 2012, and Los Angeles is scheduled to stage the next Summer Games in 2028. The government wants a future event to benefit the entire country, connecting communities in the north and south while ensuring its legacy extends across the UK.

London remains the only British city to have hosted the Summer Games, doing so on three occasions in 1908, 1948 and 2012. Manchester finished third in the race to host the 2000 Olympics, which were awarded to Sydney, while Birmingham's bid for the 1992 Games was unsuccessful, with Barcelona selected instead.

On Saturday, Burnham said, "Few things bring a country together quite like the Olympics. I want people to feel that sense of excitement again, and to experience it in their own towns and communities, not just watch it on the 'telly'. The Games would unlock opportunity across our towns and cities for the whole country. From north to south, it would be something everyone could get behind and be proud of. We know we can put on the greatest show on earth. Now we want to explore how we can do it again, with the whole country behind it."

The feasibility study will consider the practical requirements of staging the Games, including the venues and transport infrastructure that would be needed. The government will work alongside UK Sport, northern mayors and the British Olympic and Paralympic Associations, which would ultimately be responsible for submitting a bid.

Healey said, "Olympic legacy lasts way beyond the celebration of sport over the summer. The north hosting an event as big as this would be truly unforgettable. Britain's experience of London 2012 is proof we can host the world. I'm picking up the pace on our work to potentially bid for these prestigious games. It will lift communities, create opportunities and give the UK a huge boost."

The potential involvement of Wales could add a further dimension to the proposal, with North Wales previously expressing interest in joining a wider regional bid. Inside the Games reported in April that business leaders in North Wales had backed the idea of a joint hosting concept involving northern England, with Welsh Government minister Ken Skates advocating a regional approach.

Skates outlined a possible footprint stretching from Holyhead to Hull, with Wrexham's Racecourse Ground, Chirk Castle and Holyhead among the locations suggested for football, archery and sailing respectively. The venues were presented as examples of how events could be distributed across the region, rather than confirmed choices for a future Games.

The wider concept was also linked to potential improvements to transport infrastructure, including upgrades to the North Wales main railway line and better connections between Wrexham, Chester and Liverpool. However, Wales' involvement in the latest proposal has yet to be confirmed, with the feasibility study expected to establish how a potential Northern Games could be delivered and which locations might be suitable to host events.

The potential Northern Games would also face questions over whether the UK should pursue a regional bid or involve London, which has separately expressed interest in hosting the Olympics again. London Mayor Sadiq Khan backed a potential bid for the 2040 Games in 2025, arguing that the capital could use its existing sporting infrastructure to host the event for a fourth time.

Elsewhere, Rome has emerged as a possible contender for 2040, with Italian Olympic Committee President Luciano Buonfiglio expressing interest in bringing the Summer Games back to Italy. Germany has also selected Munich as its preferred city for a potential bid covering 2036, 2040 or 2044, with Ronald Rauhe, the country's sports minister, identifying 2040 as his preferred option.