Organisers of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games must level with the public and central government about the risks to the event caused by Covid, a former member of the organising committee says.
Jonathan Browning, a former managing director of Jaguar Land Rover, said the Games' Board of Directors had privately considered proposals to downgrade elements of the sporting event.
He said: "The organising committee have been looking at different scenarios, of levels of impact from Covid and what that means. They need to be open with local partners about these different scenarios and the impacts on the supply chain, the financing of the games, and talk openly about what that means in terms of games delivery and, particularly, community engagement and the lasting legacy.
"It's important that expectations are set so that all of us in the West Midlands can feel good about the Games when they happen, assuming they happen, and that expectations are set correctly with central government and with the Commonwealth Games sporting federations around the world."
He spoke out after Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward, a member of the Games' Board of Directors, admitted it was uncertain whether the event would go ahead next year as planned. Coun Ward says his words have been misinterpreted and he remains confident the Games will happen.
As recently as October last year, the Board submitted a report to the Government which insisted the Games would proceed in full and within budget. By law, organisers of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games must send the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport an annual report, which is then presented to Parliament.
It said organisers were "committed to organising and delivering the Games on time and within budget. It will do this in a way that fully realises the aspirations of the Birmingham bid, the hopes and expectations of the people of the city and region and the contractual obligations of the Host City Contract."
Mr Browning quit the Games' Board of Directors last year, saying he could not endorse the report because it did not make clear that these objectives were at risk due to uncertainty regarding Covid 19.
Coun Ward has now apparently come to a similar view, telling a meeting of the West Midlands Combined Authority Board last week: "We can’t be certain what is going to happen going forward. Indeed, the Olympic Games that were postponed to the summer of this year are now looking in some doubt again – so we can’t be certain and who knows what will happen next?
"There may be another variant to the virus, and we are all placed back to square one."
Coun Ward also said: "We are all working on the assumption at the moment that the Commonwealth Games are going to go ahead, in spite of what is happening around the world with the pandemic."
Mr Browning argues that failure to come clean about the threat posed by Covid-19 has prevented the organisers from seeking solutions, which might involve asking central government for extra funding or admitting that elements of the games may need to be downgraded, such as plans for community involvement.
Speaking to Birmingham Live, he said: "We all want to see the games succeed. But to do that in such an unprecedented environment as we are facing today requires leaders who are prepared to face up to the big issues and to do so early and openly. Unfortunately, we have got leadership in Birmingham City Council who have frankly buried their head in the sand for too long, and have not been transparent about what's going on."
He added: "The organising committee missed a key chance to adjust the plans, or demand additional government support, when they submitted their annual report to Parliament in early October last year.
"Ian Ward, as one of the signatory directors, unconditionally declared that the Games were going to be on time, on budget and meeting all the host city contractual requirements.
"The question is, what parallel universe was he living in then, compared to just a few weeks later saying he can't be certain that the games would go ahead? That is too little too late in terms of recognising the challenges ahead."
He said failure to be transparent about the obstacles facing the Games had been a problem even before Covid. For example, organisers have said a planned Athlete's Village in Perry Barr will not be ready in time for the games and blamed the delay on Covid, but Mr Browning said it was clear the village was behind schedule in March last year, before the pandemic was known to have reached the UK.
Coun Ward said: "Jonathan Browning knows very well how these things work. We live in uncertain times and it is right and proper that we regularly review the situation. But acknowledging potential risks does not automatically mean they become reality and his misinterpretation of my comments last week ignores the balanced and sensible approach we are taking.
"As I have consistently said, we are all working towards 2022 and remain confident that the Games will go ahead, in spite of what is happening around the world with the pandemic.
"The Games are over a year and a half away and the vaccine roll-out means we can reasonably expect the situation to have improved dramatically by then. We will continue to monitor the situation and will of course learn from other major events scheduled to take place before July 2022."
Ian Reid, Chief Executive of Birmingham 2022, said: “We are confident that the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will go ahead and that it will play a significant role in the post-covid recovery of the UK. We are mindful of the challenging and somewhat unpredictable times, but we still have more than 18 months to go before the Games start. We will continue to monitor and adapt to the evolving global situation, learning from other major events that will take place before Birmingham 2022.
“As you would expect as part of the rigorous planning that goes into staging an event of this magnitude at this moment in time, we have established a dedicated specialist team that is connected to policy and medical advisors from local and national Government, so we can ensure the Games is a safe environment for all athletes, officials, workforce and spectators.
“The progress of delivering these Games continues at great pace and the physical infrastructure of The Alexander Stadium, and Sandwell Aquatics Centre is testament to true partnership working and demonstrates how we will continue to move forward.
"With multiple vaccines for Covid-19 now being rolled out and plans to accelerate this being implemented, we are reassured and remain steadfast in our belief that the Games will offer not only hope, but great economic benefits, new opportunities for many, and will mark a significant moment that the whole country, and the entire Commonwealth can look forward to.”
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, due to take place from 28 July to 8 August next year, is set to attract 5,000 athletes from across the Commonwealth. Birmingham was confirmed as the host city in December 2017 when former hosts Durban, in South Africa, were stripped of the rights to hold the event. It means Birmingham has less time to prepare than usual.
