British PM Reportedly Worked Against Madrid 2020

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GIBRALTAR - AUGUST 08: The peninsular of Gibraltar on August 8, 2013 in Gibraltar. David Cameron has spoken with his Spanish counterpart, Mariano Rajoy, and Mr Rajoy has offered to 'reduce measures' at the Gibraltar border. Tensions between the British and Spanish governments have been raised on issues surrounding the sovereignty of Gibraltar. An increase in Spanish border crossing checks between the Rock and mainland Spain, leading to lengthy queues, is widely considered to be a retaliatory move for the construction of an artificial reef in British waters, which it is claimed has had a negative impact on Spanish fishing vessels in the area. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

(ATR) A British member of the European Parliament says the highest reaches of British government helped sabotage the Madrid 2020 Olympic bid.

Graham Watson told the Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation the British government was incensed over Spain’s border policies with Gibraltar. Gibraltar is on the Iberian Peninsula, but a British overseas territory, and remains a thorny diplomatic issue for both Britain and Spain.

Watson said, "I am told that PM Cameron actually said to the Spanish Prime Minister, 'If you carry on with these border queues, we will make sure you don’t get the Olympic Games.' And that, I believe, is what happened."

Madrid lost in the first round of the 2020 voting, finishing behind Istanbul and bid winner Tokyo.

A spokesperson for the British government was later quoted saying: "Sir Graham Watson was speaking as an MEP, not as a member of Her Majesty’s Government.

"As has always been the practice, the UK government did not favor any of the three finalists over others, and there was absolutely no UK attempt to influence any of the bids."

Written by Ed Hula III

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