Sir Keir Starmer issues update on Glasgow Commonwealth Games bid as Scotland told to 'seize chance'

However, the Prime Minister said the UK government wanted to be “supportive” and was engaging with Scottish ministers.

It comes after SNP health secretary Neil Gray wrote to his counterpart in London asking for the UK government to underwrite unplanned costs if the event went ahead.

Ian Murray, the Scottish Secretary, said no public money would be invested in the Games, but added ministers would leave “no stone unturned on what we can do to help”.

Speaking to the Scottish Parliamentary Journalists' Association (SPJA) in Downing Street, Sir Keir said: “There is a difficulty with the Games, which was not of our making and we want to be supportive. We will talk to the Scottish Government about this. No final decision has been made in relation to it."

Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) has urged the Scottish Government to back plans for Glasgow to host the multi-sport event in 2026, after the Australian state Victoria controversially pulled out last year.

Yesterday, Mr Gray told MSPs a final decision will be made in the coming weeks. He said: "Scottish ministers have been clear about the financial pressures facing the public purse and we have a duty to balance the potential benefits with the associated risks to ensure that staging the 2026 Games would be the right thing for Scotland at this time. Given the proximity of the event, we are obviously working closely with stakeholders to confirm a final decision in the coming weeks."

The Commonwealth Games Federation secured £100 million in compensation from the Victorian Government following their withdrawal as hosts in July 2023. The cost of hosting Games has been calculated at about £114m, with the number of sports cut to ten, and CGS claims private finance will make up the difference.

CGS chair Ian Reid argued Scotland should seize the chance to bring “wide-ranging benefits to the country and public purse”.

Speaking to the SPJA, Mr Murray said UK ministers were “enthusiastic” about bringing the Games to Glasgow, which last hosted them a decade ago.

He said: “I think the UK and Scottish governments have both been clear there’s no public money to invest on or around the Commonwealth Games, but we’re leaving stone unturned in what we can do to help. There’s obviously a role for the UK government in terms of visas, wider security issues around terrorism and those kinds of issues.”

He added: “We want there to be a positive outcome here and we’re working with the Scottish Government to make sure we can get one.”

Mr Murray said Glasgow’s involvement was critical to the Games taking place. “If we want the 2026 Commonwealth Games to go ahead, Glasgow now has the yes or no in terms of whether or not that will actually happen,” he said.

Mr Reid previously warned: “Should we choose not to step up and host, the future of high-performance sport in Scotland will be under serious threat.”