The Election and London 2012

There are far more qualified people than me to write about the General Election. I did, however, want to mark one change. With a change in Government comes a change in Olympics Minister - and the end of the road for Tessa Jowell. I spoke at a CBI Event on London 2012 after Tessa Jowell a couple of years ago, and was extremely impressed by her genuine passion for what the Games could do for our country. She was clearly speaking from the heart.

Appointed Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport after the 2001 election, Jowell played a significant role in the Government position with regards to the bid for London 2012. If Tony Blair was central to the victory in Singapore, Jowell was certainly central to getting him there in person. She retained her Olympics portfolio after Gordon Brown’s post succession reshuffle, and retained this responsibility until the 2010 Election. I feel for Jowell now - she has moved things so far, and yet now faces the likelihood of seeing Hugh Robertson or similar take the glory.

We already have an interesting model in what the transition to Conservative Olympic Games leadership will look like in the change. We watched as from Ken Livingstone (another victim of the changing political tides) gave way to Boris Johnson's London Mayorship. Initial complaints about mismanaged budgets and inefficient management have already all but seeped away as Boris recognises he will be better set portraying himself as the White Knight of the Games rather than bickering and haggling all the way to 2012.

I feel sorry for both Tessa and Ken, as I do any business leader or even football manager who is asked to leave before his or her work is truly complete. In complex working environments there is often major value in continuity. While Hugh and Boris will grab the glory, the learning curve will be steep.