Jowell accused of exploiting Olympics for 'political gain' » Central Government » 24dash.com

Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell was today accused of trying to exploit London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games for party political advantage.

Her Conservative shadow Hugo Swire warned that Ms Jowell was jeopardising cross-party co-operation on the Games by seeking to portray the bid's triumph as a Labour achievement.

Ms Jowell claimed credit for the Olympic bid success in an email and a speech during the campaign for this month's local elections, and scenes of the bid team celebrating in Singapore were featured in a Labour party election broadcast, said Mr Swire.

The Tories believe that London mayor Ken Livingstone may seek to use the Games in his campaign for re-election in 2008, with Gordon Brown doing the same in the General Election, expected the following year.

In a letter to Ms Jowell today, Mr Swire said that the bid was strongly backed by both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats and pointed out that his own party worked with the Government to get a Bill through Parliament quickly to allow work on the Games to begin.

He wrote: "I hope you will therefore understand my frustration that the Government has increasingly chosen to use the 2012 Olympics for party political purposes.

"I must warn you that you are seriously undermining... on-going cross party co-operation. You cannot expect us as the official opposition to work constructively and openly, if at the same time you are consistently prepared to score political points solely for the benefit of your party."

Mr Swire said: "There is a London Mayoral election, and a General Election between now and 2012, which is why it is so important that we work together to deliver the Olympics.

"We are simply not prepared to be included in Tessa Jowell's big tent when things are not going so well, only to watch her claim credit for the Labour Government when they are.

"Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are furious about the way Tessa Jowell has behaved. Enough is enough, and we want her assurances that she will stop playing politics with the Olympics and that this will not happen again."

Copyright Press Association 2006.