Are the 2012 Olympics worth the fortune?

Even before the bizarre logo, the London Olympics has been costing Londoners a fortune

First, there’s council tax hikes. Every London taxpayer is paying at least an extra £20 a year. Worse, Ministers refused to “cap” this when I and my colleagues proposed a legal limit on what Londoners pay. Ken Livingstone’s recent promise to find £300 million more without raising council tax rings hollow.

Second, there’s reduced lottery funding for good causes. Over £1 in £5 of good cause cash is being diverted for the Olympics - less money for community sports, for heritage, arts and many tiny charities and voluntary groups.

This is not what was promised when London won the bid.
The financial incompetence surrounding the Olympics is staggering. The latest budget for the games is nearly FOUR times the original.

It’s time these Olympian budgets were cut. I’d prefer an “economy” Games to a lavish spectacle that hits council taxpayers and good causes.

Take one local example. A superb charity called “Learn English At Home” (LEAH) has been working in Kingston for 24 years. Through LEAH, local volunteers teach English to people in their homes – focusing on people who can’t go to classes, primarily women looking after children. With basic English, they can cope more easily and contribute. Now LEAH’s lottery grant has not been renewed, and they are fundraising just to survive – see their website www.leah.org.uk

LEAH’s story is being replicated all over – as charities for young people, the elderly, carers and many others are hit.

The budget for the Olympics should be independently reviewed, and the National Audit Office asked to recommend major savings.