Healey Earmarks £7m to Study Bid for Northern England Olympics in the 2040s

John Healey will put £7m on the table in his first budget as chancellor, money set aside to find out whether northern England could host an Olympic and Paralympic Games in the 2040s. The fund will pay for a full feasibility study, the next formal step toward what would be Britain's first Games since London 2012.

The idea has been building for several months. In May, before Andy Burnham entered No 10, the government commissioned UK Sport to carry out an assessment that could inform a bid for the 2040s. In June, mayors from across the north of England met in Sheffield to discuss the possibility of a northern bid.

Athletes have added their voices. More than 40 Olympians, Paralympians and elite competitors have signed a joint statement expressing what they call "strong and united support" for a "box office Games" in the north. Among the signatories are Laura Kenny, Jason Kenny, Sarah Storey, Beth Tweddle and Tom Pidcock.

The study is meant to move the proposal from enthusiasm to detail. It will examine how a northern Games would work in practice, including the types of venues and the transport links that would be needed, and what a winning bid would require. It will also assess how much the Games could cost and how likely a bid is to succeed. The government, UK Sport, the northern mayors and the British Olympic and Paralympic Associations will all be involved in the work. The two associations would ultimately be responsible for any bid.

Burnham, announcing the fund, said a bid would "unlock opportunity across our towns and cities" and that "we can put on the greatest show on Earth." He said he wanted people to feel the excitement of the Olympics in their own towns and communities, not just watch it on television, and described the Games as something that could bring the country together from north to south.

Healey pointed to precedent. "Britain's experience of London 2012 is proof we can host the world," he said, adding that he was picking up the pace on work toward a potential bid. He said a northern Games would lift communities, create opportunities and give the UK a major boost.

The British Olympic Association, ParalympicsGB and UK Sport issued a joint statement welcoming the announcement. They said they looked forward to working in partnership to explore the opportunity, building on the success and legacy of London 2012, and the benefits it could bring both to the nation and to the Olympic and Paralympic movements.

Not everyone is persuaded. London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, has previously criticised the plan to explore a northern bid, arguing that leaving London out would be a "missed opportunity." The wider backdrop is that recent hosts have tended to be very large cities, among them Sydney, Tokyo and London, though Brisbane, Australia's third-largest city, will stage the 2032 Games.

What happens next rests on the study. Its findings on venues, transport, cost and the odds of success will determine whether a formal bid goes ahead, and the Olympic and Paralympic bodies would then carry it forward.