Majority of Brits support London 2040 Olympic Games bid, polling shows
More than half of Brits support a London bid to host the 2040 Olympics and Paralympics, exclusive polling for Morning Wire has revealed.
Two-thirds of Londoners would back the proposals while 68 per cent of those who consider themselves sports fans are in favour of the capital bidding to stage the Olympics for a record-breaking fourth time.
Polling for Morning Wire by Ipsos found that 55 per cent of Britons were in favour and that only 12 per cent of the nation would be opposed to a 2040 bid, while 29 per cent were undecided.
It comes as Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan recently threw his support behind the city hosting the Olympic Games, and taking on the likes of India and Saudi Arabia in making it happen.
London 2040 has British support
“I would like to see London become the first city to host the Games four times,” Khan said in April. “And if we have the World Championships in 2029, it means in the lead-up there’s energy, enthusiasm and investment in track and field.
“Globally, everyone loves coming to London. And we’ve managed to stage a good event every year in the London Diamond League.”
There are, however, concerns over the funding of the 2029 World Athletic Championships, which require as yet unpromised government support.
UK Athletics insiders said they didn’t expect a mention in Rachel Reeves’ Spending Review last week but the Chancellor notably did back other sporting projects.
The data suggests that over two thirds of Britons agree the Olympic and Paralympic Games would be good for London, with similar numbers agreeing it would give people something to celebrate, bring people together and be good for the nation as a whole.
A quarter of the 1,095 people surveyed, however, agree that it would be a waste of money. Three in four said they weren’t aware London was considering bidding for the Olympic Games in 2040.
Awareness
Keiran Pedley of Ipsos said: “Although public awareness of a potential London 2040 Olympic bid is low, our research clearly demonstrates that the public is receptive to the idea.
“There is strong support, particularly among Londoners, younger demographics, and sports enthusiasts.”
If Brits had the choice of picking a major sporting event to host, however, the men’s Fifa World Cup is by far the most popular – followed by the Olympic Games and Paralympics, men’s Champions League final, men’s Euros and women’s Fifa World Cup.
“Great Britain is still first and foremost a country of football fans,” added Pedley, “showcased by the fact that as exciting as many find the prospect of another Olympics coming to London, the World Cup would be the preferred sporting event to bring home.”