Glasgow 2026 bid has 'reputational and financial' risk

Glasgow hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2014

Hosting a curtailed 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow would carry "a reputation risk as well as financial risk", the Scottish government has warned.

Talks have been ongoing for several months about hosting a scaled-back version of the event after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew because of rising costs.

First Minister John Swinney warned in August that no public funds would be committed to the bid, but Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) has repeatedly insisted its proposal would not need any government money.

With the timescale now critical to accept in excess of £100m of Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) capital, the Scottish government was asked about its position in the Holyrood parliament on Tuesday.

In response, Cabinet Secretary Neil Gray insisted discussions had "intensified" between themselves, the UK government and leading Commonwealth Games figures and that a final decision would be made "in the coming weeks".

However, he cautioned that there were significant issues still to consider before agreeing to bring the Games back to Glasgow 12 years after it last staged them.

"It is precisely because we understand the potential benefits, as well as the importance to elite sport in Scotland, that we continue to consider this," Gray said at Holyrood. "However, there are risks that we need to bottom out.

"It’s a new concept, it’s untested, the figures we are being quoted are ambitious, so we need to be mindful of that.

"This is not a replica of the 2014 Games. This is a smaller version, with fewer sports over fewer sites, so therefore there is a reputation risk as well as financial risk.

"Glasgow and Scotland have an international reputation for hosting major events incredibly successfully, so we need to make sure this concept is right.

"Every passing day makes delivering the event more challenging and that is one of the questions around risk, whether this can be achieved in the time available."

Could Glasgow be the saviour? - analysis

Caution on the part of the Scottish government is understandable. Advisable even, given the current state of the public finances.

But is the prospect of a Glasgow games really a risky proposition?

Commonwealth Games Scotland says it's a "no brainer". And, while the decision-makers at Holyrood are entitled to be less enthusiastic, the notion of reputational damage could just as easily be flipped to present Glasgow as the saviour of the Commonwealth sports movement.

Let's be clear: unless Glasgow hosts, there will be no Commonwealth Games at all in 2026.

Games of the scale of Glasgow 2014 or Birmingham 2022 are probably a thing of the past now anyway. Too much expense for too little reward.

A Glasgow games could provide a workable model for future games. Cut the number of sports and concentrate on quality over quantity. In one fell swoop, it could save the movement and provide a workable template for the future.

No brainer? That's now for the First Minister to decide.