A new survey has revealed a stark divergence in opinion between different parts of the UK over
whether the London Olympics in 2012 will benefit the nation’s economy.
The research, carried out on behalf of The Daily Telegraph newspaper by YouGov and RSM Tenon,
also highlighted a growing opinion that the £9.3 billion Olympics event budget should have been cut
back as part of the coalition government’s austerity measures.
The government and the London Organising Committee clearly feel that the money is well-
spent, and will be offset by direct benefits to the UK economy – however less than half of the UK
businesses polled agreed that the Olympics will boost consumer sentiment and positively influence
the economy.
In a striking regional split, only 22 per cent of Scottish businesses believed the economy will benefit,
compared with 36 per cent in the Midlands and 53 per cent of businesses in the South of England.
The results of the survey raise questions over the government’s clearly stated goal that the Olympic
Games should “benefit the whole of the UK”. A spokesman for RSM Tenon said: “The split is
not just geographical but political too as areas outside of London and the South are unlikely to
immediately benefit from the regeneration hub, which is seen by some as a driver for economic
growth.”
Hannah Holroyd, of the Federation of Small Businesses, commented that: “The South East is more
positive because the effects are more tangible. You can go to Stratford and actually seeing it built.
In Manchester you cannot do that.” The sentiment was echoed by Garry Clark of the Scottish
Chambers of Commerce, who said that businesses in Scotland simply felt “remote” from the
Olympics and any economic benefits the Games might bring.
