The Labour Party has accused the Conservatives of slashing grassroots sport funding by nearly half since coming to power – and in the process dismantling the London 2012 Olympic Games legacy.

Shadow sport minister Alison McGovern said that Labour had spent more than £1bn on sport and recreation facilities during the fina financial year of being in power (in 2009-2010).

That figure, when adjusted with inflation, equates to around £1.24bn in "today’s money" and – according to Labour – is double the £657m spent by the Conservative administration in 2019-20.

Referencing the currently ongoing Tokyo Olympic Games, McGovern said: "Team GB has performed brilliantly in these games so far and our athletes are fantastic ambassadors for our country – brave and determined, pushing the boundaries, winning medals and breaking records.

“Sadly, the Olympics legacy that should have been built on from 2012 onwards – not in medals, but in a country that puts health, physical and mental, first – is not there.

"That is because of the actions of the Tory government from 2010 onwards. A Labour government is urgently needed to meet the country’s ambition for sport and fitness.”

Labour's claims seem to be backed up by some of the official figures available.

During a recent parliamentary session, a question outlined how, under the Tories, the number of PE teachers had fallen by more than 10 per cent – from 26,005 in 2011 to 23,513 in 2020.

In June 2010 – within weeks of coming into power – the Conservatives axed more than £100m worth of leisure projects.

These included cutting free swimming for children and pensioners, which was introduced by Labour in 2009 to support the London 2012 legacy efforts.