Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey have backed the ambition to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games to the North of England, with £7 million for a full feasibility study into a "Northern Games" in the 2040s.
The funding will be confirmed in John Healey's first Budget on Wednesday. It follows an initial strategic assessment by UK Sport, commissioned in May, into the costs and benefits of a bid hosted across several northern cities.
Andy Burnham: 'Something everyone could get behind'
"Few things bring a country together quite like the Olympics," Andy Burnham said. "I want people to feel that sense of excitement again, and to experience it in their own towns and communities, not just watch it on the telly."
"The Games would unlock opportunity across our towns and cities for the whole country. From north to south, it would be something everyone could get behind and be proud of. We know we can put on the greatest show on earth. Now we want to explore how we can do it again, with the whole country behind it."
John Healey: 'Proof we can host the world'
John Healey said: "The North hosting an event as big as this would be truly unforgettable. Britain's experience of London 2012 is proof we can host the world. I'm picking up the pace on our work to potentially bid for these prestigious games. It will lift communities, create opportunities and give the UK a huge boost."
The study will look in detail at how the Games would work in practice, including the venues and transport links needed and the prospects of a winning bid. It will bring together the Government, UK Sport, the Northern mayors and the British Olympic and Paralympic Associations, which would ultimately be responsible for any bid. The British Olympic Association, ParalympicsGB and UK Sport welcomed the Government's "continued support" for exploring a bid.
Kim McGuinness: 'The North can deliver'
The idea was first championed by the Northern mayors and backed by Olympians including Dame Laura Kenny and Dame Sarah Storey. North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: "When Northern Mayors first came together to champion a Great North Olympics and Paralympics some said it could never happen, that we were being too ambitious. They were wrong. It can happen, the North can deliver and this is another huge step forward."
Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson, who has lived and worked near the Olympic Park in east London, said London 2012 had "transformed Stratford and surrounding areas", adding that he was "very excited" the Budget is backing plans to bring the Games to Northern England.
