The lost legacy of the London 2012 Olympics as grassroots sports are hit by a decade of Tory cuts

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The sporting legacy of the London 2012 Olympics has been betrayed by Conservative cuts. The last 10 years have seen sports participation plummet, facilities forgotten and physical activity stagnate

Great Britain's Jessica Ennis celebrates winning gold in the women's heptathlon on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games (

Image: Getty Images Sport Classic

The London 2012 Olympics were meant to inspire the next generation of stars like Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis-Hill.

But instead, his sporting heritage has been betrayed by conservative cuts.

The last 10 years have seen sports participation plummet, facilities forgotten and physical activity stagnate.

In 2012, ministers 'committed themselves to passing on a sporting heritage to young people and bringing a culture of competitive sport back to schools'. But since then, statistics show:

Sport England, the public body that promotes sport, has had its funding cut by 44%. Council spending on sports and recreation facilities has fallen by 60% due to government cutbacks. 36,000 less hours of physical education are taught in England - by fewer teachers. The proportion of adults participating in sport has decreased.

Lucy Powell accused the Tories of a "decade of neglect" (

Picture:

Manchester Evening News)

Ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham later this week, Labor MP and shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell accused the Tories of a ‘decade of neglect’.

She said: "The London 2012 Opening Ceremony celebrated what was great about Britain and Tory ministers promised us a golden age in British sport after its aftermath. Instead, we lost a decade of popular sports and recreation to government failure."

Sport England figures indicate that less than half of children take part...