London Evening Standard/London
Britons must not allow the Olympic spirit to “fade” after two sensational weeks, David Cameron urged yesterday.As millions of people returned to work yesterday with an “Olympics hangover”, the prime minister called on them to continue to draw inspiration from the Games and ensure a lasting legacy.“Of course these golden few weeks, where every few hours there is another gold medal to celebrate and something to make you proud about your country, that can’t go on for ever,” he told The Standard. “But I hope it should not just fade because it’s finished.“We have seen things about Britain that we all really love and we should keep those things.”He highlighted sport as a motivator, the effect of role models such as Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis and the “passion” of volunteering in Britain.Cameron looked forward to the Olympic Park regenerating east London and said the Games showed that big projects can be completed on time and on budget and the country can “amaze and dazzle the world”.At a press conference in Downing Street, he added: “That spirit should be taken forward. The moral of the Olympics in a way is if you want to achieve great things you have to work really hard and that’s what the government and everyone has to do.”Tony Blair, who was prime minister when London was named in 2005 as host city, echoed Cameron’s appeal to keep the Olympic spirit alive.He called for it to be “translated into an attitude of mind ... that can reach out beyond merely sport”.Before flying off for a holiday in Spain with his wife Samantha and three children, Cameron said the Games had shown that the UK’s “time had come” rather than being doomed to decline.“We in this country are going to make sure that these are not just Games that made history but the Games that helped to shape our future,” he said.He said the “massive self-confidence boost” could help kick-start Britain’s economy.The government has pledged to keep the £125mn a year for elite sport for four years to give British athletes the best chance at Rio de Janeiro. Lord Coe, head of Locog, has also been appointed as a legacy ambassador.Cameron also repeated his belief that there should be a clear commitment in the national curriculum for more competitive sport in schools.