Glasgow 2014: Hague calls for Team GB success

William Hague yesterday insisted he is confident Team GB will deliver “another spectacular performance” at the Commonwealth Games, despite the home nations competing separately.

Foreign secretary William Hague. Picture: AP

The Foreign Secretary also told the House of Commons that Team GB has become a “sporting superpower” as he backed calls for Scotland to stay within the Union. Glasgow hosts the 2014 Commonwealth Games, which start next month.

Asked what his department is contributing to the preparations for the games, Mr Hague told MPs: “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is playing a strong role supporting the 2014 organising committee.

“Our high commissions across the commonwealth are also drawing on our contribution to London 2012 to ensure Britain makes the maximum impact from what I am confident will be another spectacular performance by Team GB.”

Former Lib Dem leader, Sir Menzies Campbell, told Mr Hague: “Perhaps I’ll just remind you that, of course, the constituent parts of the United Kingdom compete in their own right and so there will be a Scottish team, a Welsh team, an English team and a Northern Ireland team.”

Team GB secured 63 medals at the 2012 London Olympics, including 28 gold, 17 silver and 18 bronze.

In 2010, at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, England won 143 medals, Scotland picked up 26, Northern Ireland 10 and Wales 19.

Mr Hague later said: “Scotland is the proud host nation for the Commonwealth Games but the UK is the host Commonwealth member state, and we’re working together on this very successfully.

“We’re confident that the games will be a success and together in Team GB we have become a sporting superpower, and it’s very important we keep working together on sport.”