Leading Article: Sporting chance for subsidy

We haven't said this often lately, but three cheers for the PM. A new national sports academy, help for sports in schools; these are great ways to spend the extra National Lottery cash.

This is something John Major feels passionate about. We in Britain don't pay enough attention to sport, he says. We don't provide enough high-quality facilities for our athletes, or enough training opportunities for them to succeed. So, the Government is leaping into the breach to sort things out. Good.

But isn't it curious that the PM doesn't expect the free market to solve the problem? The liberal ideologue is quickly replaced by the keen interventionist when the issue is close to his heart.