Olympic Games and Paralympic Games 2012

Lord Graham of Edmonton Excerpts

Monday 14th June 2010 Lords Chamber

[Lord Graham of Edmonton]

My Lords, it is a joy and a pleasure for me to make a contribution. Every now and again, though it is not very often, I have sat down after making a speech and heard someone say, “Now, follow that”. How on earth can we follow a speech such as the one that we have just heard, delivered with such authority, such conviction and such warmth and humanity about what we are all about? The House of Lords is enormously privileged to have within its ranks those who have contributed to this debate, whether they have done so as professionals, members of quangos or in any other way. The House has been not only well served but brilliantly served. The person who will be most indebted to those contributors is the noble Lord, Lord Shutt, who began by reminding us of how amazed he was at the detailed planning that had been done.

I do not have a prepared speech. I have listened with admiration for and been impressed by those who have given prepared speeches. Although I have a different view on prepared speeches, I understand what is happening: this is a report of work in progress. It is all around the theme which the noble Lord, Lord Shutt, outlined—I congratulate him on his new position and wish him well. It is to do not only with letting members of the groups that the contributors represent understand that their case has been made, but with telling the rest of Britain and the Houses of Parliament that any fears about whether things are being done are misplaced. For my part, I have never had any doubts; if I had, they have all been allayed. I have been an enthusiast for sport. However, there are some aspects which I should like to touch upon.

My wife Margaret attended the 1948 Olympics as a spectator. When we were in company talking enthusiastically about sport, Margaret would look around and simply say with a smile on her face, “I was there”. That is what we will give to millions of people in two years’ time. Whether they are there in person, watching on television or listening on radio, they will smile and say to their children and grandchildren: “You talk about the Olympics of 2012. I was there”.

In 1948, I happened to work for the Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Co-op. We had a sports field at Cowgate—those who know Newcastle will know where I am talking about. On that sports field in 1948, after the events, I saw Arthur Wint and McDonald Bailey. After any big sporting event, the stars who have come from all over the world go around. I am looking forward to people saying, “Do you know, I went to an event in Belle Vue in Manchester and I saw the great runner, Bolt, and Asafa Powell”.

The spin-off from enthusing people and getting them to believe that it has been well worth the time and the money cannot be measured. There are people who normally do not get excited the way we do about certain events, and yet they get carried away. For the past few months it has all been about world football—and I shall not mention the 1-1 draw last Saturday more than once. People get excited about the event. It is not only commercially exploited, as it is these days, but it takes the sport right into the room. In 1948, we did not have a television set and relied on other ways, but I remember the excitement that came from that—and so it goes on.

The noble Lord, Lord Shutt, should be congratulated on beginning a process for the past three or four hours of a report, not just to Parliament but to the country, that the slight apprehensions that might have been there five or six years ago are in practice being put behind us. That is not to say that it is going to be an easy journey for the next two years or the next 22 years, but at least we can be satisfied that the planning that was done will come to fruition.

I turn to the contributors, including the noble Baronesses, Lady Campbell and Lady Ford, the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, and of course our wonderful noble Baroness, Lady Grey-Thompson—along with the noble Lord, Lord Coe, and Tessa Jowell. We have a marvellous team of people involved in one way or another who are to be congratulated. What will we achieve? One can see the pride that comes over in South Africa at the moment at the fact that this world event is being held in that country. That gives pride to people; they know that their country is respected by the rest of the world. That is marvellous. That is what I hope we will feel at the end of the Olympics, although of course we must think of the money and the difficulties.

When I take my son from Loughton in the middle of Epping Forest to the London Chest Hospital in Bethnal Green, I pass the site. I have seen it grow, and I have been staggered at its enormity. I reflect on the fact that in 1966 I was a member of the founding committee of the Lee Valley Regional Park. I pass that regularly as I go backwards and forwards from here to there; every time I pass it, 40 years on, I reflect on the fact that it is an established part of our local landscape, but also nationally and internationally known. Just to be associated with it is important. Our first sports director was Ron Pickering, who was a great man who inspired us to do a great many things. The authorities that formed the committee were termed riparian authorities; Newham and the River Lee were exploited and developed and grew, and the people of the area are very proud of that. In five or six years’ time, I look forward to going to Newham, Bethnal Green, West Ham and East Ham and so on, and finding people who—without their saying anything to me—I know are proud of the fact that not only the Games have come to their area but that they were there doing their bit.

As to the reservations that have been mouthed tonight over whether the legacy will be used, all we can do is be ambitious and hope that it is. I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Shutt, on indicating to us that the transfer from one Government to another—that is, one manager to another—has been done seamlessly. There is no change in the direction or the policy, and no change in the ambition. I congratulate all those who have spoken with authority on behalf of their organisations, especially the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan —I was going to call him Colin—whom I have known ever since we both came to this House, many years ago. He gave us a marvellous résumé of what is happening as well as a forecast of what he hoped that we will see.

I speak with some emotion because in future I want to do what my wife was so happy to do, and say in a conversation, when I talk about the Olympics in 2012, “I was there”.