They were there to represent a united front but political differences emerged yesterday when Scottish Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell and Tessa Jowell, the UK Olympics Minister, visited Stirling University.

Mr Maxwell accused the Labour government of "robbing" sport in Scotland of vital lottery money to fund the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012, the budget for which has now risen to more than £9bn. He declared his general support for the 2012 games but strongly opposed its funding mechanisms which, he claimed, will seriously undermine grassroots sport in Scotland.

He said: "We are very supportive of the London Olympics. We think they will be very good for Scottish athletes and want to see the maximum number there. Where there is clear disagreement is over the use of lottery funding to fund the Olympics.

"We don't support that, we never have and we never will and we will continue to take that case to London. We shouldn't rob grassroots sport in Scotland to pay for the London Olympics.

"Lottery funding, from its high point a few years ago, has been in decline, although it has levelled off. "Over the next four years we are going to lose tens of millions. The estimate in sport is about £13m cut between 2008 and 2012."

He said that the Treasury should bear the financial burden for the 2012 Games.

Ms Jowell was in Scotland to look at the facilities at Stirling University, which has established itself as an international hub of sporting excellence and celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

She said: "We have some big decisions to take about the Olympic Aquatic Centre in London and it seems to me that Stirling has made all the right decisions at the right time to maximise the legacy benefit for the local community"

She encouraged Stirling to make a strong case to act as a base for one of the Olympic teams in 2012.