‘Frustrated’ senior Commonwealth Games board member quits

Jonathan Browning, the former chairman of British Cycling – and senior board member of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games organising committee – has quit over what he is calling a “lack of transparency”.

Browning told the Government of his decision earlier this week, according to the BBC.

He decision to resign follows a letter sent to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden which said he was leaving the committee because of its “poor functioning”.

He also accused the Games’ director of a “failure to encourage challenge by the directors or to acknowledge the magnitude of risks ahead of the Games in these especially uncertain and volatile times”, adding that it was “leading to a culture where over-promising and under-delivering appears to be acceptable”.

A statement from Browning said: “This has not been an easy decision. Unless addressed quickly, [the board] risks major problems as the Games draw closer.

“We can’t afford to repeat the experience of the athletes’ village, where the pre-Covid shortcomings of the project are still not openly acknowledged.”

Browning’s decision is the latest blow to the Games. In August, plans to build a £500m athletes’ village were canned because of delays brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.