Keir Starmer will try to find a host country for the 2030 Commonwealth Games this week as ministers try to shore up the tournament’s future.
The prime minister’s spokesperson said Starmer wanted to see “a successful Commonwealth Games from 2030” and would spend time at this week “talking to partners about who may be interested in taking that forward”.
The prime minister is in Samoa this week meeting other leaders at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm). He told reporters travelling with him that the games were still “really important” despite the struggle to find countries willing to host them.
Glasgow stepped in to host a scaled-down version of the games in 2026 after the Australian state of Victoria abruptly withdrew as its host. The rescue deal came after Malaysia rejected an offer to take on the 2026 event, citing costs.
Birmingham, which had been due to host in 2026, stepped in to host the 2022 tournament instead when the South African city of Durban was stripped of hosting rights after running into financial problems and missing deadlines.
Asked if the Commonwealth Games should be scrapped in light of these difficulties, the prime minister said: “No, I think they are really important and I am glad they are being hosted in Scotland and I think we will put on a really good show, and we always do.”
He admitted the event was “going to be pared down, as you know, but even pared down it is worth a lot of money to the economy in Scotland”.
Ministers admit that the mid-tier sporting event needs to be overhauled if it is to survive. The prime minister’s spokesperson said the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow would “represent the first opportunity to show what a new lower-cost, more sustainable model for the games would look like”.
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The spokesperson said Starmer “continues to see the Commonwealth Games as not only a key pathway for elite athletes, a great event for spectators but a great opportunity to bring together the Commonwealth family of nations in a positive and impactful way”.
Behind the scenes, there are hopes that South Africa will be interested in hosting the event in six years’ time.
