Moynihan dirty tricks row

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The dirty tricks row that has clouded Colin Moynihan's election as British Olympic Association chairman was re-ignited yesterday when MPs heard allegations that two of British sport's leading figures lobbied against the former Conservative sports minister on the government's behalf.

Giving evidence to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport select committee, the BOA chief executive Simon Clegg said the association's voting members were contacted during the election campaign by representatives of UK Sport and the English Institute of Sport, which as quangos are supposed to be independent of government.

Steve Cram, the EIS chairman, and Sue Campbell, chief executive of UK Sport, are suspected by BOA insiders and the Conservatives of having played a part in the briefing.

The sports minister Richard Caborn is also known to have been lukewarm about his election, although Lord Moynihan yesterday stressed that he has a good working relationship with the government.

UK Sport believe Campbell's actions have been satisfactorily explained but the issue is unlikely to go away judging by the testy exchanges between Labour and Conservative members yesterday, prompted by Clegg's evidence.

Last night Hugh Robertson, the shadow sports spokesman, wrote to Tessa Jowell asking her to clarify the situation. He suspects parliament may have been misled over the issue. "If so, that is a resignation matter," he said.

Leaning heavily on bar

Lord Moynihan may have to find a new theme for his next publication. His independent report into British sport was called Raising the Bar, and the document he will present to the Olympic board next month, detailing the cost of fielding the British team in 2012, is provisionally entitled Clearing the Bar. If the latter is rejected, Hitting the Bar might be more appropriate.


Source
Paul Kelso
The Guardian