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Poll shows UK public right behind 2012 Olympics

137/08
9 December 2008

A new nationwide survey suggests public enthusiasm for London staging the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2012 now stands at 78 per cent – with more people interested in London 2012 and more believing that the Games will have a positive impact on their own lives and local communities.

The poll also indicates that Britain’s strong showing in the Beijing Games has led to 66 per cent of those responding becoming more enthusiastic about London 2012 – and it reveals a high level of confidence (76 per cent) that the UK will stage a successful Games in four years time.

The 78 per cent pleased that London is hosting the Games compares with 76 per cent in the previous survey a year ago.  Strongest support came in Northern Ireland (89 per cent), among 35-44 year olds (85 per cent), 25-34 year olds (84 per cent) and in London (84 per cent). The biggest increases were in the West Midlands and East Midlands, both up by 10 percentage points, to 81 per cent and 78 per cent respectively.

Even where enthusiasm was lowest, over two-thirds were pleased that London was hosting the Games. Among people over 65, and in Scotland, support was put at 69 per cent.

Tessa Jowell, Olympics Minister, welcomed the poll’s findings:

“The support of people across the UK for the Olympics and Paralympics is an important expression of our hope that London 2012 will be everyone’s Games. People are enthusiastic, interested and confident that we will stage a fantastic spectacle. They recognise the huge progress there has been in 2008 - starting construction on the two biggest venues months ahead of schedule, raising millions through private sector sponsorship and passing the halfway point in lottery ticket sales to pay for the facilities and infrastructure. 

“The challenge now is to maintain this progress in 2009 without faltering and I have no doubt it will be another year of achievement.  But not for one moment do we take the public’s support for granted.“

Among other findings, the polling suggests:

  • 73 per cent nationally are interested in London 2012 – up from 67 per cent in 2007. The figure in London itself is now 83 per cent. 
  • Interest has risen sharply in the West Midlands (up from 60 to 76 per cent) and North-East England, up from 65 to 78 per cent. 
  • 40 per cent now say they know “a lot” or “a little” about plans for the Games.

Seventy-three per cent said they believed the Games would have a positive effect on the UK as a whole and 83 per cent on London. When asked about the impact on their own lives, respondents were much more optimistic than in the previous survey: 30 per cent anticipated a positive impact on their lives (up eight percentage points) and 29 per cent (up five percentage points) on their local community.

Those believing the benefits from London 2012 should be wider than just sport were put at 75 per cent, a big increase from 63 per cent in 2007.  

Both surveys were conducted to help develop plans to maximise the legacy from staging the Games – identifying the public’s priorities across a range of issues.  The Government’s legacy action plan, Before, During and After: Making the Most of the London 2012 Games, was published in June 2008.

This year the top-ranked objective, with 93 per cent support, was getting young people more involved in their local communities – ahead of creating jobs (92 per cent), boosting tourism and business (both 88 per cent) and increasing participation in sport, at 87 per cent.

And over two-thirds of those questioned were confident that all 12 legacy aims outlined would be achieved, with 83 per cent thinking we can improve on Britain’s impressive haul of 19 Olympic gold medals and fourth place in the medal table in Beijing, and 42 gold medals and second place in the Paralympic Games. That compares with only 42 per cent who believed in 2007 that Team GB could come fourth in the medals table in London.

Tessa Jowell added:

“We needed to know what the public wanted from London 2012 – what the people’s priorities were.  It is very clear that they realise the scale of what can be achieved, not just in London but across the whole country and, increasingly so, touching their own lives.

“The commitment to benefits stretching way beyond just sport is ours too – and, in this difficult economic climate, London 2012 offers up a golden opportunity to produce lucrative contracts for British companies and deliver badly-needed regeneration for one of the poorest parts of the UK.”

Notes to Editors

  1. The research by the British Market Research Bureau is available on the DCMS website.
      
  2. A nationally representative sample of 2,109 people aged over 15 from across the United Kingdom was interviewed face-to-face by BMRB between 25 September 2008 and 1 October 2008.

  3. The Government’s legacy action plan, Before, During and After: Making the Most of the London 2012 Games, is available on the DCMS website.

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