Tories promise ‘crown jewels’ rethink 09/04/2010 |
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The Conservatives have confirmed they plan to reduce the number of sporting events on the free-to-air ‘crown jewels’ list if they win next month’s election.
Shadow sports minister Hugh Robertson also revealed that the Tories will undertake an independent economic assessment study before making any changes to existing legislation if they get into power.
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport announced this week that a revised list of protected sporting events would not be implemented before the general election on May 6.
The Government had provisionally accepted the recommendations made by an advisory panel led by former Football Association executive director David Davies, but Robertson has slammed Labour for using the controversial proposals as a vote-winner.
"I've always thought the problem with the review is that it was driven by political imperatives, not sporting ones," he told the Press Association.
"I think when Andy Burnham [former secretary of state for culture, media and sport) launched the review he thought there were votes in sticking sport back on free-to-air.
"When they got the review they suddenly woke up to the fact that it is a great deal more complicated than that because there is a balance to be struck between guaranteeing as much sport as you can free-to-air but also allowing sports governing bodies the freedom to market their own rights and then invest the proceeds in grassroots sport.
"It's an immensely complicated area but the standard Conservative response is that if we win on May 6 we will review the economic evidence. We will certainly look at an independent economic assessment and then make our decision thereafter."
Robertson insists that the Tories will investigate the economic impact listing will have on sports before making any decisions – a pledge that will go down well with sports governing bodies such as the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Robertson pointed out that the recommendations "could pretty easily bring down cricket completely" as the ECB relies on broadcast revenue for 80 per cent of its income.
"I think the general principle would be that we favour a smaller rather than a larger A-list," he added.
"I would certainly look to reintroduce the B-list – the highlights – which are scrapped altogether in the Davies review because I think that is a very good compromise.
"Then we would probably look at mandating governing bodies that are unlisted to invest a certain amount of their income in the grassroots."
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