With 24 hours to go before the UK’s General Election we have heard everything we need to know about immigration, schooling and crime but one issue that seems to be neglected in the news coverage has been sport. All the three main parties seem to consider it important to include in their manifestos, but I’ve set out to see which party has the most original inspiring ideas to get our country active.

Firstly they plan to restore sport funding and generally this is going to be through the National Lottery. Conservatives pledge to ensure that the sports, heritage and the arts will each see their original allocation of 20% of National Lottery good cause money restored. Labour also want to fine tune how Lottery proceeds are spent and as a proportion of Lottery funding is going to the Olympics after 2012, this proportion will return to culture heritage and sport. The Liberal Democrats say they plan on a gross profit tax on National Lottery to provide more money for Exchequer and good causes however they don’t specify which causes.

All parties maintain they will support bringing more high profile international events to Britain including World Cup 2018 to England. The Conservatives also specify that to support high-level sport further they will work with the Scottish government to deliver a top-quality Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014 and to ensure that the 2013 Rugby League and 2015 Rugby Union World Cups are successful.


All the main parties claim they will deliver a successful Olympics. The Conservatives state their commitment to the Olympics that will bring lasting benefits for the country as a whole. Part of the community sports budget of the National Lottery will be responsible for delivering an Olympic legacy, including the vigorous promotion of competitive sports through a national Olympic-style school competition.

Labour really went into detail on its sporting pledges, wanting to ‘build on the renaissance that British sport has enjoyed in the last decade.’ They aim to achieve outstanding medal success at the Olympics and Paralympics, with a talent development system striving for excellence and successful British athletes spanning all disciplines and events.

Labour also pledge Britain will be the first Olympic hosts to create a world-class sports system from elite level to the grass roots:

  • Providing resources to give every child the opportunity to do at least 5 hrs sport/week through schools and 3,000 new Olympic inspired sports clubs.
  • Invest in new national network of school sports coaches to increase quality and quantity of coaching in deprived areas.
  • Backed by Pupil Guarantee, will ensure every pupil has access to competitive sport and coaching.
  • Continue investment in free swimming for children and over 60’s

Top marks to Labour for setting out detailed plans for grass roots sport, whilst Conservatives perhaps could have gone into more detail with what an ‘Olympic-style school competition’ would be.  Both, however, fail in revealing how they plan to pay for this legacy, will it be government backed, sponsorship from the private sector or will the National Lottery be paying again? But at least they have considered the long term benefits of hosting the Olympics, the Liberal Democrats don’t even mention how they plan to develop a Olympic legacy.

In fact the Liberal Democrats don’t spend much time discussing sport in their manifesto at all. But their two sport pledges are unique to them and specific:

  • Use cash in dormant betting accounts to set up a capital fund for improving local sports facilities and supporting sports clubs.
  • Close loopholes that allow playing fields to be sold or built upon without going through the normal planning procedures.

Labour also set out plans to improve the regulations and reputation of sport:

  • Protect integrity of professional sport toughen measures to combat cheating and use of illegal substances.
  • Ensure professional clubs are accountable to their stakeholders run on sound financial principles with greater community and supporter representation.
  • Scrutinising of club takeovers for long term interest of club and the sport.
  • Registered Supporters Trusts enabled to buy stakes in their club bringing mutualism to the heart of football.

So there you are a round-up of the main parties sporting pledges. In an era where our population is so overweight and inactive, it is a severe cause of death and burden to the health services I was expecting more sport related pledges in the manifestos. Labour was the party with the most in depth sporting aims but little suggestion of how these were going to be funded. I have little faith in these pledges actually being carried out but at least sport and the Olympics were considered by the major parties unlike some of the other political parties including:

  • The Green Party, who want to stop the selling of playing fields and will also extend the ban on other blood sports, but they mention nothing about the Olympics, and
  • UKIP, who mention the word sport in their manifesto only to suggest school assessment should include non academic abilities such as sport.

Obviously sport related pledges won’t be the deciding factor for your vote but hopefully I have given you something else to consider, when you place your vote tomorrow.


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