Rogge gives boost to London over Olympic bid

The long black cloud over London's proposed bid to stage the 2012 Olympic Games that was cast by England's embarrassing campaign to host the 2006 football World Cup may finally have been lifted.

Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, reassured the culture secretary Tessa Jowell here yesterday that the 2012 games selection process will be entirely transparent and that London will start as one of the favourites if the government decides to pursue a bid.

The World Cup bid was doomed from the start after the Football Association reneged on a "gentlemen's agreement" that they would not compete against Germany, who eventually secured the event when the election took place in 2000. Tony Blair had been led to believe England was the favourite.

Jowell wanted to hear for herself that no similar deal had been struck with Paris to ensure France is awarded the 2012 games. "We wanted to make sure the playing field is level and Jacques Rogge has made that clear," said Jowell.

"If we bid we'll not be in a position in 2004-5 of being told we shouldn't have bothered because we never had a chance. The World Cup bid was unlikely to succeed from the outset. We want to make sure we don't get into a similar position."

It is predicted that the race could well be between Paris and London. But like Britain's, the French government still has to commit itself. Paris went for 2008 but came only fourth in a contest won easily by Beijing, finishing behind even Istanbul.

Paris has the advantage of having many of the facilities needed for a games already in place, including the Stade de France, but the land that was earmarked as a village for 2008 is no longer available. That could considerably weaken a Paris bid this time.

Jowell emerged from the meeting with Rogge, which lasted twice the 45 minutes scheduled, at the IOC headquarters beside Lake Geneva, striking a more upbeat note than in recent days.

"He said London is an iconic city and it would be an extremely strong contender if we decided to bid. There will be strong bids from other European cities but there is no impediment to a London bid."

Jowell's optimistic stance was a badly needed fillip for the campaign to bring the games to Britain for the first time in 1948, at the end of a week in which there has been little to cheer.

It had started with the prime minister refusing to wholeheartedly endorse a bid, got worse with Jowell's gloomy assessment in the Commons of London's chances and dismal when Gordon Brown said the capital's taxpayers should bankroll any bid. But Jowell once again insisted that neither Blair nor the chancellor - the two with whom the decision will ultimately rest at a cabinet meeting on January 30 - had made up his mind.