Sporting Events Bill [Lords]

Nigel Huddleston Excerpts

2nd reading
Thursday 3rd September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Nigel Huddleston (Droitwich and Evesham) (Con)]

I refer hon. Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests.

I have particularly enjoyed today’s reminiscing about London 2012. I remember Super Saturday very well, because I was watching the beach volleyball, which was just up the road, of course, at Horse Guards Parade. I think that was the third time I went to the beach volleyball—for some reason that attracted me quite a lot—and there were a lot of good events going on. Unlike the hon. Member for Bracknell (Peter Swallow), though, I was very much not a teenager at the time.

I will take this opportunity to reiterate something I said this morning by welcoming the shadow Secretary of State to her role. This is an incredibly broad, fascinating, but also daunting brief—I think anybody who has been involved in DCMS recognises that—but she will enjoy it, and I wish her the very best of luck. If there is any way that I can support her, she will always have my support.

I would also like to thank my former team: my hon. Friend the Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Mr French), who is on the Front Bench right now, my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight East (Joe Robertson) and Lord Parkinson. I also thank the broader team, who did such a good job at supporting me and, most importantly, the sectors.

I can see already that there will be a good working relationship between Opposition and Government. In those areas where party politics is not relevant—that is often the case in DCMS matters—that relationship is important. It is not always seen in the Chamber—it is often seen at events or in the corridors—but it is important that there is that dynamic.

I am not going to lay it on too thick, though. I am not going to say that I will ever vote for the Secretary of State or the Minister, but I think that the most important thing to recognise is that Members can be opponents while also being civil to each other, decent and, quite frankly, nice people. People do not always see that in this place. Politics is politics—there will always be areas of disagreement—but a constructive relationship where a constructive relationship is required is vital for British democracy, and long may that continue. I do empathise with the Minister, by the way. I have been there, so I know about the constant disagreements and challenges when it comes to asking the Treasury for money.

Let me stick to the key theme here of co-operation. I support this Bill. The tone today has obviously been one of general co-operation, for the very reasons that many colleagues have already articulated. The UK, rightfully, has a world-renowned global reputation for doing these kinds of international sporting events not only well but superbly well. We are all committed to delivering international sporting events, and we need even more opportunities to do so, because they do create genuine lasting legacies and inspire the next generation of talent. Sport interest, engagement and participation can have a really positive impact on the nation’s wellbeing by inspiring a more active and healthier nation.

It can also lead the way on inclusivity. Think of the amazing achievements in the integrated Commonwealth games, where able-bodied and para-athlete events are held alongside each other. Britain has a proud reputation for not only investing in para-sport and sponsoring para-athletes but broadcasting it on key channels at peak times—something I will come on to again shortly.

Hosting major international sporting events makes huge economic sense for UK plc, as several Members have mentioned today. When done well, they can be profitable, and the multiplier impact on spend, travel, and hospitality venues such as pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels—of course from both domestic and international visitors—can be absolutely huge. We must remember that inbound visitor spend is export revenue. Every year, over a million people come to the UK primarily to watch a premier league game, generating over a billion pounds for the UK economy. That is export revenue, so this Bill is not trivial.

With Government support, we already have major events secured, including the Euros in 2028 as well as the Fifa women’s world cup in 2035. When I say Government support, it is important to recognise that I mean multiple Governments, because the nature of the extraordinarily long bidding process timelines often meant that not only do the Government have to commit to them but the Opposition have to commit to them as well. Those who are holding the events that we are bidding into often want to see cross-party support, because there could be a different Government by the time of the next event. I am certainly hoping that that will be the case.

[Lisa Nandy]

Never!

[Nigel Huddleston]

Perhaps then we can turn the tables and see Conservatives benefit from Labour’s hard work, rather than the other way around.

[James Naish]

I must say, I think that was the case with the 2012 games, if I am not mistaken, which were won under a Labour Government but delivered under the hon. Gentleman’s Government.

The point I wanted to make was about the development of a long-term vision. Certainly in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, we are doing a lot of work on something called the Trent Sports District, which is taking our excellent venues and painting a long-term vision of what they can do for our city and area. That is exactly what he is saying about individual events, so does he agree that using sport as a regeneration and visioning tool is an excellent way to bring everybody together in a cross-party way to secure long-term benefits for an area?

[Nigel Huddleston]

I do indeed agree with the hon. Gentleman. The other point he makes is that, when we do these events, it is often one individual city or one particular location that gets a lot of the focus. There seems to be a trend at the moment, which I quite like, of having multiple venues and often multiple countries, even when hosting major international events—we saw that this year with the world cup. We have often bid on a four-nations basis, which can be beneficial, and we will continue to do so. That goes back to the point that the economic benefit can be so considerable that it is great if we can spread it outside the M25. It is important that we do that. I do not want to be negative about London—we have amazing sports venues in London—but we always need to think about London-plus, if London is the anchor.

As the former Sport Minister who oversaw the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth games, I am familiar with, and therefore welcome, many of the framework provisions that go deep into the weeds of event organisation on matters such as ticket sales, unauthorised advertising, brand protection, transport logistics and so on. Previously, they had to be considered in discreet Bills for each and every event, which clearly does not make sense. The basic logic for this Bill is therefore sensible.

Although I am broadly supportive of the Bill, there are some changes that we would like to see, along the lines of what the shadow Secretary of State said earlier. In particular, many in the Lords expressed a concern that the definition of “events” used in the Bill initially seemed to cover way too narrow a group. I therefore appreciate the Secretary of State’s comments. Indeed, I remember us having a conversation about the matter at Silverstone and how there is some logic to including many of the important domestic events.

As the shadow Secretary of State pointed out, that does not necessarily mean everything all the time, but we can pick and choose elements of the Bill. That always causes complexities in such Bills, because it can cause some challenges, so we probably need to build in some flexibility. I am sure that, later on, as we go through the Bill’s stages, we will be able to work that out. There is a clear and strong feeling on behalf of the major domestic sporting events that were mentioned—Wimbledon, the grand prix and so on—that we do right by them and, quite frankly, make it easier for Government in dealing with those things. Again, let us just use a hefty dose of common sense.

There are a couple of other sport-related matters, which I would like to raise, that should be considered in the wider context of the Bill, and I would genuinely appreciate the Minister’s views on those in her closing comments. She will be aware of speculation about allowing alcohol sales at football games. The Conservatives introduced an amendment to the Football Governance Act 2025—I say “the Conservatives”, but it was my hon. Friend the Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup, who is sitting on the Front Bench—for a consultation on lifting the alcohol ban in top-tier football. Unfortunately, despite a lot of agreement cross-party, that amendment was shot down by the then Labour Government. Will the Minister now reconsider that, and is the Bill an appropriate vehicle or opportunity for that consideration? For example, would alcohol sales be restricted at some of the events that we talk about in the Bill? Similarly, are the Government reconsidering the 3 pm blackout rule? That is nothing to do with the Bill, but I just wanted to take the opportunity to put the Minister on the spot.

I also want to touch on something that has been mentioned before, which is the listed events regime. Is that being reviewed, particularly in the context of the events being considered in the Bill? If there is Government support for hosting an event and taxpayers’ money is being put into it, there is a reasonable expectation that attendance and viewing of that event should be maximised in-country to maximise the overall benefit and inspiration that these things can provide. Is this therefore a good time to reconsider the listed events regime, particularly for events supported with taxpayers’ money and held in the home nations?

BBC Sport’s fantastic coverage of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth games achieved record-breaking audiences on TV, streaming and online. I was fortunate, as the Ministers were, to attend the Glasgow Commonwealth games this year. The city and the organisers put on a fantastic show, particularly given the circumstances of how the games came about, which I think most people are familiar with. It was a deliberately smaller-scale event than the Birmingham games, and although the coverage on TNT Sports and Channel 5 was good, it did not get the breadth of coverage and therefore achieve the level of awareness in-country that we would have had, for example, had the BBC or another major broadcaster secured those rights. That raises questions about what the BBC is bidding for and how much it is bidding. That is definitely a debate for another day, though an important one.

I will end there by confirming that I broadly support the Bill and I certainly look forward to engaging constructively with Ministers as it goes through its remaining stages. I hope we will see some amendments supported by all parties.

Sporting Events Bill [Lords]

Nigel Huddleston Excerpts

Report stage & 3rd reading
Wednesday 4th November 2026 Commons Chamber

This Bill shows that this Labour Government are committed to ensuring that the UK remains a world-leading destination for major sporting events. Ultimately, that is what we all want, because it gives us home advantage.

[Nigel Huddleston (Droitwich and Evesham) (Con)]

Having served as the Sports Minister overseeing the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth games, I know at first hand the incredible opportunities and challenges that come with hosting major international sporting events. For that reason I broadly welcome the Bill and the framework it seeks to establish. The case for hosting major sporting events is clear: they generate significant economic activity, support jobs, inspire participation in sport and leave lasting legacies in communities across the country.

Sport contributes more than £53 billion annually to the UK economy. Major events play an important role in supporting growth across sectors such as tourism and hospitality. The Birmingham Commonwealth games alone generated an additional £1.2 billion in economic value added, as well as leaving a legacy of improved or new facilities in and around Birmingham. As we look ahead to Euro 2028, and as we pursue our ambition to host the 2035 women’s world cup—and a future Olympic games—it is vital that we have a modern and effective legislative framework in place. Historically, Parliament has had to legislate separately for each major event, and that approach is neither efficient nor sustainable.

The Bill’s strength is that it creates a standing framework through which future events can be delivered more effectively, reducing unnecessary bureaucracy while ensuring the UK remains an attractive place, if not the best in the world, to host major sporting competitions. For those reasons, I support the broad aims of the Bill.

Although the Government have already accepted some amendments, including incorporating a limited number of recurring annual events, the Opposition Front Bench have tabled a few further amendments and enhancements that I would like the Government to consider supporting. First, the success of a major sporting event depends not only on athletes and organisers but on the transport networks and public services that allow spectators, volunteers and competitors to participate. When that infrastructure is disrupted by industrial action, as we have seen, local businesses lose trade, visitors face uncertainty and the reputation of the host nation can suffer. Many will remember the strikes planned to coincide with the opening of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth games, which were a deliberate attempt to disrupt a major national event, while the country was recovering from the pandemic, with the intent of causing maximum disruption. Furthermore, the Government had to dip into contingencies—taxpayer’s money—to the tune of £4 million to provide alternative transport options for sporting fans. Any opportunity to limit such damage would be welcome.

Secondly, a major sporting event should not only showcase excellence on the field of play but command the confidence of athletes, spectators and governing bodies alike. For many people, maintaining fairness in women’s sporting competition and preserving appropriate single-sex spaces form an important part of that confidence. The Opposition’s amendments would incorporate single-sex protections into the sporting events framework, ensuring that where it is applied, major sporting events and associated activities provide single-sex competitions and facilities in accordance with the Equality Act 2010. The proposals also provide sensible exemptions for self-contained facilities, including those designed for disabled people, recognising that accessibility, dignity and practicality must sit alongside privacy and fairness.

There are also several proposals and amendments relating to ticketing and ticket touting, in particular the secondary ticket market. We need to be careful in this area. There is cross-party support for ensuring that we do not have rip-off ticketing in sporting and many other events. We also need to ensure a valid, perfectly legitimate secondary ticket market can thrive, because that can be good for consumers, and competition can help keep prices low. There have been circumstances where a monopoly has been created in sporting events. That may have been well intended, but it has led to organisers charging considerable amounts in, for example, fees. We saw that during the FIFA world cup, where the official resale platform charged a 15% fee to buyers and sellers. That demonstrates how easily costs can be passed on to supporters when limited competition and no alternative marketplace is available. I therefore ask the Government to consider what further evidence may be required when looking at this challenging marketplace.

I stress again that I support the overall purpose of the Bill and the framework it establishes, but if we are serious about maximising the benefits of hosting major sporting events, we should also be prepared to strengthen the legislation where necessary. The amendments would do exactly that, so I hope the Minister will consider them carefully.

[Mr Bayo Alaba (Southend East and Rochford) (Ind)]

I welcome this Bill, because I know from experience how important it is. Before becoming the Member of Parliament for Southend East and Rochford, I was fortunate enough to be involved in the London 2012 Olympic games, the Euro 2020 football championships and the 2022 FIFA world cup. I have seen at first hand what it takes to make a major sporting event a success and the benefits it can have for the wider community. These events have taught me that while venues, organisation and promotion are all important, the most crucial factor is support from Government and local authorities. Unfortunately, that support is not consistent across the country. While some areas have the relationships, expertise and capacity to help sporting events thrive, others start from scratch each and every time. That is why the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee has called for a national strategy for major events, and I welcome the Government’s commitment to publish one.

The Committee has also called for responsibility for major events to be moved from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to the Department for Business and Trade. That move would highlight the role of events in driving investment, tourism and growth. The importance of major sporting events is not just their financial contribution, but their ability to create and celebrate community. We also see that in grassroots events, such as Rochford Hundred’s Remembrance Day fixture, which recently brought the community together in an extraordinary way. That event was not a global spectacle, but it showed the true power of sport in building community. I commend the club’s president, Ray Stephenson, and its chairman, Steve Maguire, who made that match happen.

I finish by encouraging colleagues to think back to the successful sporting events of the past few decades, and specifically their ability to make the whole country feel united. In these times, we all know how important it is to stay united. This Bill strengthens our ability to deliver those moments and ensures that the benefits reach every community in the country.

[Nigel Huddleston]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker, please forgive me for the omission, but I neglected to refer Members to my declaration in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests when I gave my speech some moments ago.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

Thank you, Mr Huddleston. That has most definitely been put on the record.