East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell has tabled a motion in the House of Commons calling for the UK’s Olympic team to recognise the entirety of the United Kingdom.
The official name of the team is Team Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but the brand name is the shortened form of Team GB, which excludes Northern Ireland, and this brand name appears on all the literature and information about the Olympic Games.
Gregory Campbell has called for this to be changed to the equally succinct but more accurate name of Team UK.
This was an issue that he lobbied on when he was Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure and it is one that I continue to lobby on today.
As well has receiving support from within the House of Commons, the proposal to change the name to Team UK has been supported by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.
Any title which reflects the entirety of the United Kingdom would be welcomed by me.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, in this context, the title Team UK would more accurately reflect the Nation.
I've always considered the present title a slight anomaly, not to say misnomer!