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By Tony Grew - 16th June 2011
Shadow Olympics minister Tessa Jowell has suggested that “pariah regimes” should be prevented from participating in the 2012 Games in London.
At DCMS questions today she said the international Olympic committee is limited scope to do any more than issue invitations to the national Olympic committees of countries around the world.
“Given the sensitivity about what we would describe as pariah regimes, will he assure the House that all necessary and relevant diplomatic intervention will be taken at the appropriate time to prevent their participation?” she asked.
Minister for the Olympics Hugh Robertson said he agreed.
“What was very apparent yesterday in dealing with the Libyan regime was how much easier it is to deal with these situations if the regime is the subject of European Union banning orders,” he told the House.
“With all such regimes it is a huge help if they are the subject of the relevant international sanctions.”
However, Peter Bone (Con, Wellingborough) warned that the Games are a celebration of world sport.
“Host countries should be very careful about trying to ban people from coming to this country for the Olympics,” he said.
Robertson said it is “really important that when there are regimes that we do not wish to invite to this country, the relevant international sanctions should be in place to back that up.”
He added: “One of the ironies of the current process is that the ban put in place for the 1980 Olympics produced results for two people who did not abide by that ban, Lord Coe and Lord Moynihan, who are, of course, central to the delivery of the current games.”
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