Lord Graham of Edmonton
Main Page: Lord Graham of Edmonton (Labour - Life peer)
Lord Graham of Edmonton
My Lords, it is a joy and a pleasure for me to follow the noble Lord, as I have done more than once during these debates. It is great that we have this opportunity so near the event to remind ourselves, and those who care to listen, what it is all about.
What it is all about came to me this morning when I went to see my doctor. I spoke to the nurse and said, “Was it not great this weekend?”. She said, “What do you mean this weekend?”. I said, “Chelsea winning the cup”. She said, “Oh!”. I said, “You have got two daughters; surely they are interested”. She said, “Oh, they are mildly interested but they are waiting for the Olympics. They are in their teens and they are keen and excited”.
This reminded me about the theme which ought to be running through this debate. What we are about to enjoy and participate in is a chance in a lifetime; it is something that many of us have thought about and wanted to take part in. One of the joys of being in this House is recognising the quality of people from different spheres of activity. One knows the various people I am talking about. When the noble Lord, Lord Higgins, entertained us with his wisdom, I remembered him when he ran for England or Britain and I was behind him. I was the shadow; I was behind him all the way.
I have jotted down some names—the noble Baroness, Lady Grey-Thompson, the noble Lord, Lord Coe and the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, and in the other place Kate Hoey and Tessa Jowell, have been towers of strength in getting us to where we are. I can remember the excitement when Tony Blair was able to put to the top of his list of achievements getting and persuading the world that Britain was ready and ripe for what is going to happen in the next three months.
I recall the manner in which people can have their enthusiasm bought. I remember the 1948 Games, when I was working for the Newcastle Co-op. We had a sports field and after the Games the runners McDonald Bailey and Arthur Wint came to us and performed; before that I saw Sidney Woodison there. I saw all of them and remember the names and the people but not the events themselves; I was proud to have seen them perform. They left a deep impression of their capability.
I have been staggered at the extent to which all the mistakes that have been made in other parts of the world seem to have been taken into account by the various bodies responsible for getting us this far. When I went to the Library and asked for something on the Olympic Games they gave me a compendium. It is here next to me. The scope and complexity of the matters and the manner in which they have had to be dealt with is fantastic. I have enjoyed listening to debates in this place and on the radio and elsewhere. The noble Baroness, Lady Ford, has had a major part to play in managing the event. I congratulate her and her committee. It seems to me that all of the lessons that could be learnt from the past have been learnt. We will wait and see.
Some of my friends have asked me what I am going to do during the Olympics. I said that I am going to sit at home and enjoy it. When I asked them what they were doing they said they were going on holiday because they did not want to be here. I am amazed. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event. The sight of the supporters of Chelsea and Manchester City going daft in front of their neighbours and friends was hilarious. As someone who takes an interest in sport I can appreciate it. We want to see the same reaction from the people of this country when a British Olympian takes part. Even if they do not win, if they do well or do not disgrace themselves, we should be proud of the fact that they are there.
I am a prominent member of London Councils, together with the noble Lords, Lord Jenkin and Lord Tope, and others. It has done a fantastic job in co-ordinating the activity of councils. I was the leader of a London borough council, more than 50 years ago now. I know the pressures that are on my colleagues on the council now. Despite that, London Councils has a magnificent record of responding to what is going to happen.
I wish the event well. I can remember the excitement of 1948. My wife Margaret and I would go to dinner parties and inevitably people would say how marvellous the Olympic Games had been and mention all the names, and my wife would sit there and smile. They would finally say, “Come on, Margaret, you remember it”, and she would say, “I was there”, and she was able to tell them what she had seen and heard: Fanny Blankers-Koen and people like that. My wife played netball for Essex and enjoyed it. My claim to fame is that I once had a trial for Newcastle Boys—that is as far as I can go. We lost 5-0, and the fact that I happened to be in goal had nothing to do with it.
You are either with the Olympics or you are not; you are either excited or you are not. The media have done a great job, especially through television, of introducing me to sports that I had heard of but had not seen. Everyone who participates on our behalf should have the feeling that the country is behind them. Never mind politics, never mind north or south, never mind the problems—we are all behind them in this great adventure. I congratulate those who are going to represent us and I wish them well.