Labour accused the Tories of leaving the legacy of the 2012 London Olympics in tatters after cutting funding for grassroots sport by almost half since taking office.
The party said local authorities spent more than £1 billion on sports and leisure facilities in 2009/10, the last year of the Labour government.
Adjusted for inflation, this equates to £1.24 billion in today’s money. This means that the £657 million spent by local authorities in 2019/20 under a Conservative government represents a real decline of over 47 percent.
The Labour Party said local authority funding had been cut by 60 percent since 2010, leaving less money for the maintenance of public swimming pools, parks and other leisure facilities. The number of PE teachers had also fallen, a party survey showed.
The warning comes after Britain finished sixth in the medal rankings at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with strong performances particularly in swimming and diving.
Shadow Sports Minister Alison McGovern said: “Team GB have performed brilliantly so far at these Games and our athletes are fantastic ambassadors for our country – brave and determined, pushing themselves to the limit, winning medals and breaking records.”
“Unfortunately, the Olympic legacy that should have been built upon from 2012 onwards – not in the form of medals, but in the form of a country that puts physical and mental health first – is not there.
“This is due to the measures taken by the Tory government from 2010 onwards.
“A Labour government is urgently needed to meet the country’s ambitions for sport and fitness.”
Labour pointed to the Conservatives’ cuts to free swimming funding and the abandonment of the target of increasing sporting participation by two million – measures introduced under New Labour – as examples of the legacy of the London Games being put at risk.
A recent parliamentary question revealed that under the Tories, the number of PE teachers has fallen from 26,005 in 2011 to 23,513 in 2020.
In England, too, cuts to local government budgets have had a far-reaching impact on grassroots sport, the Labour Party said. Local authorities are responsible for the maintenance of a third of swimming pools, 31 percent of grass pitches, 13 percent of sports halls and almost a fifth of health and fitness facilities.
The party said a future Labour government would use its Children’s Recovery Plan to integrate physical activity into the school day, using school facilities to offer a range of before and after school clubs and activities, including sport.
The government is also calling for sport to be at the heart of education’s post-pandemic recovery, citing the National Education Recovery Plan as an example.
A government spokesman said: “We are supporting local authorities with record funding and have increased their purchasing power in England by 4.6 percent to £51.3 billion this financial year.”
“We have also worked with Sport England on its 10-year strategy to increase activity levels and improve people’s physical and mental health.
“Add to this the prioritisation of sport and physical activity during the pandemic and working closely with Sport England, UK Sport and the National Lottery to provide £1 billion to ensure the survival of the grassroots, elite and leisure sectors.”
Officials pointed to Team GB’s success in Tokyo, saying it was a reflection of central government investment over the past decade.
