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London 2012 – The People’s Olympics

August 13, 2012 3:04 pm

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David Christie

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So the curtain has closed on what must surely be celebrated as one of the greatest ever Olympic Games. Lord Coe told the world “we did it right” and even hardened Games-Scrooges and doubters are looking just a little sheepish. But, this has been a Games where people have been centre stage…and not just on the track.

The list of individual and collective achievements is awe-inspiring. The 29 Golds and 65 medals, the partnership between public and private sectors to deliver the amazing setting and the thousands upon thousands of volunteers have created a feeling of euphoria which no one dared anticipate.

The media narrative has completely changed too, celebrating people it was castigating days before. From Mo Farah the Somali immigrant turned double Olympic Champion to the thousands of Games Makers and volunteers. Many of those who volunteered are unemployed and using the opportunity to get valued experience and receiving plaudits from across the world.

For the past 2 years the Government have pushed a narrative about social responsibility and the ‘something for something’ culture which at first glance appears to resonate with the idea of a wider vision for community volunteering and activism. But it is not our ability and work ethic that has fundamentally changed in these magical two weeks. It is our attitudes to one another.

In this light it is easy to see why Cameron’s Big Society vision has so far failed. Aside from the cuts to local authority budgets which has decimated funding for local third sector provision it is simply that by castigating and vilifying people and feeding stories in the right wing press on scroungers, layabouts and lazy public servants the Government has hitherto contributed to a national mood of selfishness and individualism. In such a climate it is impossible to garner the good will and commitment to deliver positive change.

The Olympic Games has somehow managed to wipe away that gloom and antipathy. The spotlight has been firmly on the UK and the British people have reflected a warm glow right back.

I hope that we can hold onto that collectivism and sense of community that has been created in the last few weeks. There is nothing wrong-headed about the Tory Big Society idea. Their mistake has been to over-politicise it and confuse the message and to fail to recognise that the way to achieve a better society is through opportunity and skills and investing in people. Britain is soaring on an Olympic wave right now, bring on the Paralympics.

Alan Giles

“For the past 2 years the Government have pushed a narrative about social
responsibility and the ‘something for something’ culture”

…which they filched from the dying days of New Labour since it was a favourite mantra of Tony McNulty, and James Purnell from 2009, in their attempt to ingratiate themselves with the Daily Mail and Sun with their attacks on the sick and disabled.

Four articles in one day on the Olympics – from Mark, Grace, Twigg and now this one.

I think we should award a gold medal for over-egging the pudding.
- John Dore
  
  Its great isn’t it. All those positive vibes and especially from people with a nice broad perspective. I absolutely love it. Off to work now. Have a nice day.
JoeDM

“The Peoples Olympics” - How New Labour !!!!

I suppose we shall have to be “on message” and claim that we “modernised” the Olympics as well. LOL.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=715486331 Alex Otley
  
  Well the Olympics were modernised. Olympic reform was continued to make the games fit for purpose, utilising the skills of the dynamic private sector in the form of G4S. Blair probably wet himself with excitement.
  - John Dore
    
    With that level of cynicism you’re set for a wonderful life of hating it all. Try to step out of the bubble.
http://twitter.com/sprogglie Sprogglechops

“Mo Farah the Somali asylum seeker” . Just not true. Mo had a right to come to the UK since his father is British which makes Mo British by birth.
- http://twitter.com/David_Christie David Christie
  
  Sorry about this, that point was clearly poorly researched. I’ll ask for it to be changed
Dynaflo

Very clearly David Cameron and George Osborne are personally responsible for every medal that Great Britain’s Olympians have one. This is very clearly an example of “doing more with less” and the “Big Society” at its best. Things are moving in the right direction. We should all congratulate the Coalition for our nation’s success in the Olympics, since under a Labour government – Red, Blue, Purple, Black, Green, New, Old or cod-Tory – none of this would have happened. Well done David. Well done George.
Franwhi

But Labour never counter the selfish, individualistic narrative. For example Cameron having a go at teachers when many of them do so much unpaid work running and managing school sport in their own time. Why bother ?? And it’s not even true that state schools are any less competetive – ask any school football teams about competition. However it’s hard to be a competitive equestrian without a horse !
Amber Star

Just wait, in a few weeks there will be stories of volunteers at the Olympics having their JSA cut because they weren’t available & actively looking for work!

There are no depths to which this government will not sink when it comes to stopping people’s subsistence money.

Bring on the Paralympics, followed by Dave & Co. saying it demonstrates what people with special needs can achieve when they try. ‘Condemning’ them to a life on welfare is wrong, therefore the Tories will cut, cut, cut the allowances for the ‘disabled’ people’s own good so that they are motivated to achieve their full potential – or some such tosh like that!

I’m sorry to say, this government has motivated me to be a sour & cynical person.
- treborc
  
  Cynical, I won my medical a few months ago, and have just had a letter saying I’ve got to go through it again. somebody is enjoying being paid.
  - http://twitter.com/mistyblulabour dave stone
    
    Sorry to hear about that trebs, they’ll be wanting you to clear more hurdles than an Olympic medalist but without any prospect of a medal or popular acclaim.
    
    No one worth listening to has promised a rose garden, and none would expect that, but it still shocks me that the political party we’ve depended on can’t make caring for those most in need a prominent priority.
    - treborc
      
      Well it’s their money, if they want to waste it I’m happy, I’ve not had the lord lay his hands on me, so I’m still in the same mess
http://twitter.com/mistyblulabour dave stone

“commitment to deliver positive change.”

Did anyone ever think Cameron’s Big Society rhetoric would produce “positive change”? I’d be more than a little surprised if Cameron believed in his own words.

Still, we’ve got Ed’s commitment to “real change”. Although how it will be “real” and what will actually “change” is, as yet, one of the best kept secrets in politics.
http://twitter.com/Chas_Boz David Arrowsmith

Labour perpetuated the self-obessed money culture that was re-established by Thatcherism. All that has occurred since 2010 is merely the continuation of New Labour’s market led philosophies. By the way I am not ‘sheepish’ in my contention that the £9.3 Billion spent on the Olympics should have been spent on supporting the benefits of the millions who will become guests of ATOS in the coming years; including myself. But then we know that Labour is only for “Hard working families” who need their regular injections of jingoism supplied with their sport, along with their happy meals and x-boxes.
- Dave Postles
  
  Yes, many of these people will be out purchasing their Audis, VWs etc in the new registration period, and their latest Apple gadgets. The Olympics will merely be a carnivalesque ludic interlude (with apologies to Bakhtin). The greatest irony which I witnessed was that during the ‘Jubilee’ (’60 years on benefits and never signed on’) period, drivers of vehicles manufactured abroad were displaying the union flag. The local Fiat dealership was excessively bedecked with bunting at that time. Some more profound thinking is necessary, I feel.
  Yes, Amber Star is so right above. There is a large piece in the Society section of The Grauniad today about victimization of people with disabilities. The Steve Bell cartoon on the back of G2 is highly appropriate about ‘multiculturalism’ – he’s a true successor to Gillray, Cruikshank and Rowlandson.
PeterBarnard

“The People’s Olympics.”

Hmmm. If I may, let me offer you a challenge, Mr Christie :

(i) do a survey in the poorest part of town where you live (dominated by council/”social” houses, unemployment high, grass not been cut for years and dandelion, thistle and other weeds the flower of choice, cracked paving slabs prevalent, the sort of place where Ms Blears found a family still in its pyjamas on a mid-day call) and ask if they felt “uplifted and inspired” by the Olympics ;

(ii) repeat in owner-occupied suburbia.

I would be very surprised if you found “one nation and the people’s Olympics.”

I will also be very surprised if national productivity sees an “inspired” uplift in, say, twelve months’ time.
- PaulHalsall
  
  I live on a council estate of around 100 residents in Radcliffe (near Bury, Lancs). It’s by no means a bad place to live, but it could do with more investment. I talk to a lot of my neighbours everyday. Some of them do stay in pajamas until mid morning. Some (actually quite a lot) use drugs and drink Stella sometimes.
  
  Some have not been that bothered, but a huge number of them have been delighted in the the Olympics, have enjoyed watching, and really liked Team GB winning all the medals it did.
  - John Dore
    
    Good on you Paul. Our society is blighted by a lack of cohesiveness, an interaction that we used to have.
    
    What the Olympics proves is that people are crying out for positivity.
  - PeterBarnard
    
    Thank you for your comment, Paul H. It’s just that I think that the euphoria over the Olympics has been a bit one-sided and we will actually have to wait and see what the positive effects are.
- Emmaburnell
  
  My nearest estate is just as you describe. Except it also has recently had a great many Union and Olympic flags flying from people’s balconies.
- Mickelmas
  
  Some people will always be immune to positive feelings of pride in our Olympic achievements!
Trevor Sharkey

It is a disgrace how Boris and Dave have been allowed to airbrush from history Livingstone and Blair. It was as if Beckham/Coe and Johnson themselves won the olympics. What is worse is that Labour has allowed them to do it , not wanting to rock the boat or be seen as party poopers. It is about time Labour grew a backbone and started sticking up for what LABOUR achieved and in the weeks to come when the euphoria has settled i sincerely hope that Miliband and all will address the bandwagon jumping by this god foresaken regime!
- John Dore
  
  That as they say is politics.
- KonradBaxter
  
  Boris and Dave could not airbrush out Blair and Ken unless Labour let it happen.
  
  Labour probabaly wanted to avoid being associated with it for two reasons:
  
  1) the staggering cost at this time.
  
  2) if it had been a failure they wanted the blame to go to the government, not them.
  
  Now it has turned out so well we may see this change.
  
  Plus Blair is not a well liked man really with plenty of baggage and Ken couldn’t convince London to keep him on as mayor. The ghost of Banquo isn’t welcome at many feasts. LABOUR achieved things like Iraq, Afghanistan, CCTV state, attacks on civil liberties, PFI et al and Blair is a reminder of that.
  - John Dore
    
    I think you are over complicating things. We are in opposition, that means little power and little influence. It will change in 2015 and the Tories will enjoy opposition.
    
    As for the two faced turncoat Ken, I’d love to see him airbrushed out at every opportunity.
    - KonradBaxter
      
      You don’t need power and influence to remind people that you were the party that ‘won’ the Olympic bid.
      
      Unless you wanted to wait and see how it all played out…
  - Chilbaldi
    
    Ken did a great job as part of the bid team – for that I thank him sincerely.
    
    But Boris did do a better job as our representative during the games than Ken would have done. He provided quite a positive face for London IMO. Also, his press conference performances were rousing and to be learned from.
    
    Credit must also go to Boris and TFL for the way they organised the city and made everything run better than it does even on a regular boring week in the middle of February.
https://mikestallard.virtualgallery.com/ Mike Stallard

The £10 billion was well worth it. But it is an intellectual legacy.

PLEASE can we start celebrating competition, excellence and success rather than whingeing on about unfairness, the vulnerable and bankers? How about a society where everyone is celebrated by their contribution instead of their “needs”.
- treborc
  
  It’s a shame the BBC could not find the nine million needed to show the Para-Olympics though, it’s gone to channel four, so no round the clock news of the games from the big channel then.
- http://twitter.com/mistyblulabour dave stone
  
  “can we start celebrating competition, excellence and success”
  
  Well, there’s nothing to stop you from entering the next London marathon.
JC

As a number of people have pointed out elsewhere, the London Olympics may have been very successful in London. However, most of the population does not live there. Most of the politicos and commentariat do, as does the media staff who cover it.

It undoubtedly was the “Londoners’ Olympics”, but not necessarily the “people’s Olympics”.
- John Dore
  
  ahhh ahhhhh ahhhhhh bulllllllll shiiiiiiitttttttt. Sorry excuse me.
  - Alan Giles
    
    Though I have tried to encourage others not to leave LL, I have to say I can now see why they do. When it is not “ThePurpleBooker” going off on an hysterical rant, or libelling posters, it is Mr Dore with his obsession with excrement and bowels.
    
    I’d just say to Mark Ferguson, light touch editing is one thing, allowing this site to become a dumping ground for gutter and lavatory langauge is another. As is allowing a poster to anonymously daub libellous comments, it begins to look grotesque.
    
    I often feel when I look at LL of late I feel the need to take a bath.
    
    Honestly, with Labour being so close in policies to the coalition, and right-wing LL posters becoming ever more loud-mouthed what is the point?
    - John Dore
      
      Then go away.
- Chilbaldi
  
  There were plenty of events elsewhere, from Weymouth to Glasgow with a few stops in between.
  
  I see it more as residents of the various Olympic event cities versus the grumpy and bitter.
  - John Dore
    
    On the reporting of the closing ceremony, they interviewed a family that had come up from Somerset. The lady said how they were compelled to come up as it was a once in a lifetime thing, how wonderful it was and to see people of so many cultures and the spectacle.
    
    Chilbaldi, it was our Olympics, I’m not in London nor did I go but the event filled me with a massive sense of achievement and pride. It lifted the spirit of the country in difficult times. What is will give us is role models for our future generations. A beacon that says you can do something.
    
    Those who are moaning are the bitter, those who feel that society owes them something; they have nothing to offer except a continuous barrage of whining and will always find something to moan about. Sod listening to ‘em.
    - http://twitter.com/mistyblulabour dave stone
      
      “role models for our future generations”
      
      In the ‘legacy’ discussions I’ve heard so far I’ve been struck by how all commentators regard ‘legacy’ as a matter for others. Politicians want to inflict ‘legacy’ on a captive population of school children. Media people dash about attempting to extract commitments to physical excellence from bewildered youths. And you, it seems, want to pass the baton to future generations.
      
      The most prominent form of legacy I’ve witnessed so far is one of bossiness. Legacy believers should lead by example: don’t tell us how the Olympics should inspire others. Don’t, like a shirker in a relay race, pass responsibility to others. Instead, lead from the front and let us know how you have been inspired.
      
      Tell us about the 10k cross country race you’ll be entering in September, tell us about that 2 mile open-water swim you’re training for three times a week, tell us about the 100 mile audax cycling event you’ve put your name down for on Saturday.
      
      Don’t pass the buck. Lead from the front!
- Nhs_exec
  
  Given the amount of non London people at London 2012, including the vast numbers of tourists here for the games, all having a fantastic time, you can only conclude you would be negative no matter what.
  
  London 2012 was a total success whether sour pusses like you like it or not
John Dore

Read the comments and then you might understand when I say:

When you can only be miserable the left will welcome with open arms. When you can harness the power of human spirit and make things happen you’ll achieve a better result.

What a miserable bunch of moaning so and so’s you all are.
Snowak

Labour are clearly very bitter over our success . Cameron has played a blinder and mostly stayed out of the limelight . Blair would have been fawning on TV over every medal . Thank god the Great Charlatan is history , a fossil and a relic of the past .
- Chilbaldi
  
  Stayed out of the limelight?! Cameron was at every event, and certainly every final that a Brit was in! You couldn’t keep his smug face away from the TV!
Mickelmas

The legacy of London 2012 is the equation: suitably generous central funding (matched with private investment) that is well planned and executed by excellent managers, coaches and athletes over many years = success and popular support.

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