10/05/09 - Cllr Tomlinson Backs Conservatives Sports Policy Paper

The Conservative Party has today released 'Extending Opportunities' a new sports policy paper. The paper, which will be refined into a number of key pledges before the next General Election, sets out the Party’s vision for the future of sport.

The policy paper makes a number of commitments including:

• Restoring National Lottery funding, cut from sport by the current government – The Conservative Party will return lottery funding to the four original pillars. This along with other changes to the way the National Lottery is structured could see an additional £58 million a year going into elite and grassroots sport.  

• Reinvigorating competitive sport in schools – The Conservative Party would reform the UK School Games with a new inter-school competition based around individual schools. Competition would be placed at the forefront of school sport by encouraging all schools to develop inter-school fixtures.

• Introducing a World Class Events Act to attract major world class competitions to this country - Conservatives would introduce a cross government compact that would deliver permanent commitments on security, taxation, visas, bans on ticket touting, betting and broadcasting rights for major sports events. We believe that this would help attract world class sports tournaments to this country with all the revenue and enjoyment that they provide.

Cllr Justin Tomlinson, North Swindon Parliamentary Candidate said:
"The sports mission of the next Conservative government is simple. We want to extend the opportunities available through sport to the maximum number of people.

"Sport can play such a crucial role in helping people lead a healthy lifestyle, for which as my support for 'Swindons year of the Heart' campaign is essential. 

"At a local level as a Councillor I formed the excellent Sports Forum, bringing together over 60 different voluntary sports groups and led the much needed improvement in leisure facilities including: Link, Oasis, Dorcan, Highworth & Haydon centres helping provide additional opportunities for local residents to get active."