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www.olympicsdiary.com
The other domain names linking to this site, as listed in the menu bar, all remain active.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Thursday, December 14, 2006
The Clean Olympics
Liu Qi, secretary of the Chinese Communist Party's Beijing Municipal Committee, promised a "clean" 2008 Olympics.
This promise comes one day after the party expelled Liu Zhihua, the Beijing vice mayor in charge of Olympic construction projects. He has been accused of bribery and other offences.
Liu Zhihua took bribes of "several million yuan" and "helped his mistress to seek profit in projects".
Liu Qi said:
"We must tighten auditing and monitoring efforts on the preparatory work of the Olympics to prevent all potential problems. Efforts must be made to ensure that staff members involved in the Olympic preparations and venue construction projects remain on track, and make sure the Olympics are clean."
Lucrative projects, such as the Olympics, do seem to bring out the worst in people.
This promise comes one day after the party expelled Liu Zhihua, the Beijing vice mayor in charge of Olympic construction projects. He has been accused of bribery and other offences.
Liu Zhihua took bribes of "several million yuan" and "helped his mistress to seek profit in projects".
Liu Qi said:
"We must tighten auditing and monitoring efforts on the preparatory work of the Olympics to prevent all potential problems. Efforts must be made to ensure that staff members involved in the Olympic preparations and venue construction projects remain on track, and make sure the Olympics are clean."
Lucrative projects, such as the Olympics, do seem to bring out the worst in people.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Livingstone Guarantees No Tax Rise
Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, has "guaranteed" that Harrow residents will not pay more tax to fund the 2012 London Olympics.
Speaking on BBC Radio London, Livingstone said:
"I know concerns have been raised recently about increases to council tax to pay for the Olympics, I guarantee to Harrow residents that there will not be a rise.
Last year we set the Olympics council tax precept at 38p for the average London Council Tax Payer. It will remain at 38p next year and the year after and the year after that. When people see that it has not risen from 38p they will accept my firm guarantee that Londoners will not be asked to pay any more to fund the 2012 Games."
Those of you with long memories may recall that Livingstone promised faithfully, when he stood for re-election as Mayor, that he would not raise congestion charges.
Once re-elected, he reneged on that promise and raised congestion charges.
Good luck to the people of Harrow, and London, if they really believe Livingstone's promises!
Speaking on BBC Radio London, Livingstone said:
"I know concerns have been raised recently about increases to council tax to pay for the Olympics, I guarantee to Harrow residents that there will not be a rise.
Last year we set the Olympics council tax precept at 38p for the average London Council Tax Payer. It will remain at 38p next year and the year after and the year after that. When people see that it has not risen from 38p they will accept my firm guarantee that Londoners will not be asked to pay any more to fund the 2012 Games."
Those of you with long memories may recall that Livingstone promised faithfully, when he stood for re-election as Mayor, that he would not raise congestion charges.
Once re-elected, he reneged on that promise and raised congestion charges.
Good luck to the people of Harrow, and London, if they really believe Livingstone's promises!
Friday, December 08, 2006
The True Cost of The Olympics
It is reported that Beijing intends to demolish 22 remaining "urban villages", which are home mainly to poor migrants, as it "cleans up" in readiness for the 2008 Olympic Games.
The villages will be demolished by the end of June 2007.
The destruction of the "urban villages" are part of the greening programme to "create a better environment for the Olympic Games".
Beijing denies that they are trying to force poor migrants out of the city before the Olympics.
Over the past 10 years, as Beijing maked ready to host the 2008 Games, many residents have accused developers of using violence to evict people unwilling to move.
Such is the price people have to pay, if they wish to host the Olympics. Sponsorship and advertising deals come before people's rights and liberties.
The villages will be demolished by the end of June 2007.
The destruction of the "urban villages" are part of the greening programme to "create a better environment for the Olympic Games".
Beijing denies that they are trying to force poor migrants out of the city before the Olympics.
Over the past 10 years, as Beijing maked ready to host the 2008 Games, many residents have accused developers of using violence to evict people unwilling to move.
Such is the price people have to pay, if they wish to host the Olympics. Sponsorship and advertising deals come before people's rights and liberties.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Barclays Boycotts Olympics
Barclays has withdrawn from sponsoring the 2012 London Olympics. This is rather ironic, as Barclays is housing the Olympic organising committee in its headquarters.
The sponsorship would have contributed to the currently expected costs of £2BN, needed to run the games themselves.
Barclays, which has loaned the organising committee £50M, was expected to have been among the leaders applying for main sponsorship places.
The winning sponsor, from the world of banking (sans Barclays) will be expected to put up £100M.
Had Barclays become a sponsor, it would have had the right to use Olympic rings in advertising, the right to associate itself with the games and personalities involved in them, and the right to advertise its name and logos at Olympic sites.
Despite what Tessa Jowell and the other Olympics organisers might try to claim, this withdrawal is undoubtedly a blow for the already shambolic Olympics.
The sponsorship would have contributed to the currently expected costs of £2BN, needed to run the games themselves.
Barclays, which has loaned the organising committee £50M, was expected to have been among the leaders applying for main sponsorship places.
The winning sponsor, from the world of banking (sans Barclays) will be expected to put up £100M.
Had Barclays become a sponsor, it would have had the right to use Olympic rings in advertising, the right to associate itself with the games and personalities involved in them, and the right to advertise its name and logos at Olympic sites.
Despite what Tessa Jowell and the other Olympics organisers might try to claim, this withdrawal is undoubtedly a blow for the already shambolic Olympics.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
The Olympics Bill
Approximately 66% of Londoners believe that they will end up footing the bill for the 2012 London Olympics, as costs continue to spiral out of control.
That at least is the finding of a BBC poll, which showed that 65% of those questioned said that they thought that Londoners will end up paying for the additional costs.
The good people of Greece could tell the citizens of London a thing or two about budget overruns. They are expecting to continue to pay for the financial disaster of the 2004 Athens Olympics for many years to come.
That at least is the finding of a BBC poll, which showed that 65% of those questioned said that they thought that Londoners will end up paying for the additional costs.
The good people of Greece could tell the citizens of London a thing or two about budget overruns. They are expecting to continue to pay for the financial disaster of the 2004 Athens Olympics for many years to come.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Radiation Hazard At Olympic Site
Jack Lemley the ex head of the building programme for the London Olympics, who quit over budget issues, has ridiculed the Government's preparations for the 2012 Games.
Mr Lemley claims that Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell and London Mayor Ken Livingstone repeatedly ignored his warnings that the budget for the event was spiralling out of control.
He also claims that his warnings over the chemical contamination of the Olympic sites were dismissed, because "all they wanted to hear was good news".
It is reported that Mr Lemley was forced to resign after he sent Tessa Jowell a letter warning that the construction of the Olympic sites faced such serious delays, that the Games might have to be scaled down.
Mr Lemley claims that:
"It said all the management costs were underestimated dramatically, by several hundred per cent. These numbers have been known for months by everybody and if Tessa Jowell hasn't told the Prime Minister, she wasn't doing her job. It's a swamp. There is misrepresentation of the situation."
On the subject of contamination Mr Lemley was equally outspoken:
"A blind man could see there was a huge environmental problem. I thought it was highly likely they underestimated. I talked to Tessa Jowell's senior people, Jeff Jacobs and his assistant, almost on a daily basis about this."
The question that we should be asking of our "respected" and "competent" government is why did they choose a site contaminated with scrapyards and hazardous waste from factories which produced items such as; soap, matches, ink, dyes, paraffin, rubber, creosote, fertiliser and varnish.
Seemingly there is even a radiation issue, plus a few unexploded bombs!
Quote:
"They now know there are drums of radioactive material buried at the site and they never had that in their estimates.
In the spring, I learned it was highly likely there was unexploded Second World War ordnance in the ground and I said: 'I'm not going to put a pile-driving crew out there with unexploded bombs.' I wanted trenches dug so people could understand what was going to have to be done to clean the ground up and then the contractors could price it."
Mr Lemley found that his views were not welcome:
"At Olympic Board meetings, I was never invited to speak. Tessa attended with Ken Livingstone and Seb Coe and British Olympic Association chairman Colin Moynihan. All they got was good news."
As I keep saying, politicians should never be entrusted with major projects. They are unskilled, inept, incompetent and venal; they are of little use to man nor beast.
On October 9 he sent a letter, repeating his concerns, to Jowell and copied it to Livingstone and Lord Coe.
Jowell refused to discuss its contents, and ordered him to resign.
The public, and the IOC, have been seriously misled by Labour over these increasingly expensive Games. Unfortunately it will be the public who carry the can for them, rather than the politicians who got us into this mess.
Mr Lemley claims that Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell and London Mayor Ken Livingstone repeatedly ignored his warnings that the budget for the event was spiralling out of control.
He also claims that his warnings over the chemical contamination of the Olympic sites were dismissed, because "all they wanted to hear was good news".
It is reported that Mr Lemley was forced to resign after he sent Tessa Jowell a letter warning that the construction of the Olympic sites faced such serious delays, that the Games might have to be scaled down.
Mr Lemley claims that:
- He told the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, and Tessa Jowell before he was hired that there was a serious contamination problem at site chosen for the Games.
- His warnings that the budget seriously under-estimated clean-up costs were ignored.
- His agency was pressured to hide huge sums that should have been added to the budget.
- The Government knew back in May that the Olympics faced an extra £1BN VAT bill, but hid the fact from the public.
"It said all the management costs were underestimated dramatically, by several hundred per cent. These numbers have been known for months by everybody and if Tessa Jowell hasn't told the Prime Minister, she wasn't doing her job. It's a swamp. There is misrepresentation of the situation."
On the subject of contamination Mr Lemley was equally outspoken:
"A blind man could see there was a huge environmental problem. I thought it was highly likely they underestimated. I talked to Tessa Jowell's senior people, Jeff Jacobs and his assistant, almost on a daily basis about this."
The question that we should be asking of our "respected" and "competent" government is why did they choose a site contaminated with scrapyards and hazardous waste from factories which produced items such as; soap, matches, ink, dyes, paraffin, rubber, creosote, fertiliser and varnish.
Seemingly there is even a radiation issue, plus a few unexploded bombs!
Quote:
"They now know there are drums of radioactive material buried at the site and they never had that in their estimates.
In the spring, I learned it was highly likely there was unexploded Second World War ordnance in the ground and I said: 'I'm not going to put a pile-driving crew out there with unexploded bombs.' I wanted trenches dug so people could understand what was going to have to be done to clean the ground up and then the contractors could price it."
Mr Lemley found that his views were not welcome:
"At Olympic Board meetings, I was never invited to speak. Tessa attended with Ken Livingstone and Seb Coe and British Olympic Association chairman Colin Moynihan. All they got was good news."
As I keep saying, politicians should never be entrusted with major projects. They are unskilled, inept, incompetent and venal; they are of little use to man nor beast.
On October 9 he sent a letter, repeating his concerns, to Jowell and copied it to Livingstone and Lord Coe.
Jowell refused to discuss its contents, and ordered him to resign.
The public, and the IOC, have been seriously misled by Labour over these increasingly expensive Games. Unfortunately it will be the public who carry the can for them, rather than the politicians who got us into this mess.
Friday, December 01, 2006
China Relaxes Rules
China has announced that it will relax some of its restrictions on foreign reporters. It says that it will allow foreign media greater freedom to travel and report in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The regulations will come into effect on 1 January 2007, and will temporarily abolish requirements that currently prohibit foreign reporters from traveling or conducting interviews without government approval.
The new rules state that only the consent of the interview subject is needed.
Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said:
"It is crystal clear that as long as the interviewee agrees, you can do your reporting."
Melinda Liu, president of the Foreign Correspondents Club of China and Beijing bureau chief for Newsweek, said:
"In general, this is progress in terms of liberalizing the conditions under which foreign journalists work in China."
However, the new Olympic regulations contain loopholes and expire on October 17th 2008.
Liu, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said:
"Foreign journalists will not limit their activities to the Games themselves. They will also cover politics, science, technology and the economy.
The 'related matters' ... actually expands the areas on which foreign journalists can report."
The question is, what will happen after the 17th of October 2008?
The regulations will come into effect on 1 January 2007, and will temporarily abolish requirements that currently prohibit foreign reporters from traveling or conducting interviews without government approval.
The new rules state that only the consent of the interview subject is needed.
Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said:
"It is crystal clear that as long as the interviewee agrees, you can do your reporting."
Melinda Liu, president of the Foreign Correspondents Club of China and Beijing bureau chief for Newsweek, said:
"In general, this is progress in terms of liberalizing the conditions under which foreign journalists work in China."
However, the new Olympic regulations contain loopholes and expire on October 17th 2008.
Liu, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said:
"Foreign journalists will not limit their activities to the Games themselves. They will also cover politics, science, technology and the economy.
The 'related matters' ... actually expands the areas on which foreign journalists can report."
The question is, what will happen after the 17th of October 2008?
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Over Budget and Overdue
In another example of the gross mismanagement and incompetence that is plaguing the organisation and planning of the 2012 London Olympics, the new plans for a "slimmed-down" Olympic aquatics centre have been unveiled that show a budget overrun of £25M and a completion date that is three years late.
When the designs were first submitted last year, Tessa Jowell, the Olympics minister, reportedly claimed that "a change in the specification had almost doubled the costs, which is simply unacceptable".
Despite that attempt to rein in the costs, the budget is still going to overrun by £25M.
To add to the Olympics misery Jack Lemley, the Olympics chief who resigned over the spiralling costs, accused Jowell of "mud slinging". This is based on reports that Jowell, whose husband faces criminal trial in Italy, secretly told MPs that Lemley was too sick to continue in his job.
Jowell had allegedly said that he had suffered a stroke and that he "fell asleep in meetings".
Lemley was in fact being treated for an irregular heartbeat, just like Tony Blair's "minor problem" in 2004.
When he resigned, Lemley said:
"The costs are going to go up on an exponential basis and I'm just not going to be part of that."
Jowell, needless to say has let it be known, via a spokesman, that she disputes Lemley's claim:
"We are not aware that she had any conversations in which she said what you are describing."
Politicians are not fit to run a brothel, let alone organise a multi billion pound event such as the Olympics.
When the designs were first submitted last year, Tessa Jowell, the Olympics minister, reportedly claimed that "a change in the specification had almost doubled the costs, which is simply unacceptable".
Despite that attempt to rein in the costs, the budget is still going to overrun by £25M.
To add to the Olympics misery Jack Lemley, the Olympics chief who resigned over the spiralling costs, accused Jowell of "mud slinging". This is based on reports that Jowell, whose husband faces criminal trial in Italy, secretly told MPs that Lemley was too sick to continue in his job.
Jowell had allegedly said that he had suffered a stroke and that he "fell asleep in meetings".
Lemley was in fact being treated for an irregular heartbeat, just like Tony Blair's "minor problem" in 2004.
When he resigned, Lemley said:
"The costs are going to go up on an exponential basis and I'm just not going to be part of that."
Jowell, needless to say has let it be known, via a spokesman, that she disputes Lemley's claim:
"We are not aware that she had any conversations in which she said what you are describing."
Politicians are not fit to run a brothel, let alone organise a multi billion pound event such as the Olympics.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Rats in a Sack
It is a rare event indeed when I find myself agreeing with a Liberal Democrat. However, I am more than amused and in agreement with the description by Don Foster (Liberal Democrat Culture spokesman) of the politicians involved in the Olympics planning debacle as being like "rats in a sack"
A very fitting description indeed!
Foster has called upon the Labour Party to stop fighting "like rats in a sack" over the funding of the 2012 Olympics in London, and to "shut up" until the final budget is sorted out.
Hah! If only politicians could be made to shut up!
Foster's call came after a particularly shambolic week, in which Ken Livingstone (mayor of London) and Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell publicly disagreed over the budget for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Foster has correctly identified that public confidence in the Olympics is "ebbing away", and that the country would face "serious difficulties" if the in-fighting didn't end soon.
Quote:
"This is nonsense arguing going on. We have got two different Government departments, we have got Ken Livingstone, we have got the Leader of the House, all acting like rats in a sack fighting each other. This isn't what it should be about".
Adding:
"Nobody knows where we stand and confidence in our ability to deliver the Olympics is sadly ebbing away when it is going to be absolutely fantastic. We should be celebrating it and I wish people frankly would shut up."
Quite rightly he is calling for a proper budget, which should be independently audited and presented to Parliament and the people. However, this budget should have been prepared and audited prior to the bid being put forward for the Games. That way we would have had a say as to whether we really wanted the Games or not, rather than having them foisted on us as a fait a compli.
As Foster says:
"If confidence ebbs away at the rate it is doing at the moment then I think we are in serious difficulties."
Never leave large scale projects in the hands of politicians, they are not capable of running them without allowing their own egotistical self interest to take priority.
A very fitting description indeed!
Foster has called upon the Labour Party to stop fighting "like rats in a sack" over the funding of the 2012 Olympics in London, and to "shut up" until the final budget is sorted out.
Hah! If only politicians could be made to shut up!
Foster's call came after a particularly shambolic week, in which Ken Livingstone (mayor of London) and Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell publicly disagreed over the budget for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Foster has correctly identified that public confidence in the Olympics is "ebbing away", and that the country would face "serious difficulties" if the in-fighting didn't end soon.
Quote:
"This is nonsense arguing going on. We have got two different Government departments, we have got Ken Livingstone, we have got the Leader of the House, all acting like rats in a sack fighting each other. This isn't what it should be about".
Adding:
"Nobody knows where we stand and confidence in our ability to deliver the Olympics is sadly ebbing away when it is going to be absolutely fantastic. We should be celebrating it and I wish people frankly would shut up."
Quite rightly he is calling for a proper budget, which should be independently audited and presented to Parliament and the people. However, this budget should have been prepared and audited prior to the bid being put forward for the Games. That way we would have had a say as to whether we really wanted the Games or not, rather than having them foisted on us as a fait a compli.
As Foster says:
"If confidence ebbs away at the rate it is doing at the moment then I think we are in serious difficulties."
Never leave large scale projects in the hands of politicians, they are not capable of running them without allowing their own egotistical self interest to take priority.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Travellers Fight Olympics
As if the London 2012 Olympics did not have enough problems (including a budget that is out of control, and a site contaminated with toxic waste) it has now hit another hurdle.
Plans to move a group of Travellers, from Clays Lane Newham, to make way for the Olympics have come unstuck.
The Travellers who have lived on the same East London site for 35 years, part of an area designated for the Games, have been offered an alternative site. However, the site that they have been offered is one of the few green spaces in the area currently used for sport and recreation.
The Travellers and the residents have formed an alliance to fight the plans to move them on to what is being described by some as "a traffic island". Lawyers for the Travellers are threatening a judicial review, which would significantly delay any moves.
Tracie Giles, from one of 15 families, said:
"It's ridiculous. It's a local park."
Jonathan Green, a resident and chairman of a joint action group, said:
"Many of the houses and flats round here don't have gardens so it is the one green space they can go to."
It is clear that whoever did the planning for the 2012 Games either did not do a very thorough job, or assumed that "issues" such as this could just be bulldozed out of the way (as they are doing in China).
This bodes ill for the future/success of the 2012 Games.
Plans to move a group of Travellers, from Clays Lane Newham, to make way for the Olympics have come unstuck.
The Travellers who have lived on the same East London site for 35 years, part of an area designated for the Games, have been offered an alternative site. However, the site that they have been offered is one of the few green spaces in the area currently used for sport and recreation.
The Travellers and the residents have formed an alliance to fight the plans to move them on to what is being described by some as "a traffic island". Lawyers for the Travellers are threatening a judicial review, which would significantly delay any moves.
Tracie Giles, from one of 15 families, said:
"It's ridiculous. It's a local park."
Jonathan Green, a resident and chairman of a joint action group, said:
"Many of the houses and flats round here don't have gardens so it is the one green space they can go to."
It is clear that whoever did the planning for the 2012 Games either did not do a very thorough job, or assumed that "issues" such as this could just be bulldozed out of the way (as they are doing in China).
This bodes ill for the future/success of the 2012 Games.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Taxpayers Screwed
As befitting the arrogant incompetence of those who are mismanaging the London 2012 Olympics, Tessa Jowell (whose husband is facing criminal trial in Italy) broke the news to parliament yesterday that the Olympics costs were overrunning and that the taxpayer would be making up the shortfall.
Tessa Jowell, Secretary for Culture Media and Sport, finally had to come clean to the world that the costs were out of control.
Jowell, like all politicians, does not like being caught out; therefore it was a pleasure for many to see her squirm (one must take one's pleasure when one can).
However, this is small compensation for the fact that the British taxpayer (or rather more accurately the London taxpayer) will have to foot the bill for this unwanted white elephant.
Jowell said that she could not rule out funding the shortfall with a further raid on the National Lottery, or by increasing the contribution made by London's council-tax payers.
The original budget of £2.375bn has now been derided as a "fag packet" calculation, and Jowell conceded that the current figure is more like £3.3bn.
This figure is of course nonsense, as the real costs are likely to exceed £8BN.
Why do the organisers keep trying to hide the truth from people?
Answer: because they are incompetent and venal.
Jack Lemley knew the score when he resigned, he saw very clearly that the costs of clearing the toxic waste from the site selected to hold the Olympics would be astronomical.
Why did the organisers choose a toxic dump to hold the Olympics on?
Did they tell the IOC this when they made the bid?
Anyone care to spill the beans on that?
Jowell did her best to blame everyone and everything else for this shambles; rising costs on construction inflation, the doubling of steel prices and a revised figure for public transport links serving the Games site near Stratford. Rather oddly the the original bid figure did not include the £400M cost of hiring the international project management consortium CLM.
Jowell warned that there were further "potential liabilities"; the costs of Olympic security £1BN, the extent of a contingency fund within the budget and a VAT bill of £250M
None of these were in the original budget.
The fact remains a budget is meant to take into account all of the costs.
The organisers have failed, and should be removed from their positions of responsibility.
Whether that happens or not, it is clear that the taxpayers will be screwed as a result of this shambles.
Tessa Jowell, Secretary for Culture Media and Sport, finally had to come clean to the world that the costs were out of control.
Jowell, like all politicians, does not like being caught out; therefore it was a pleasure for many to see her squirm (one must take one's pleasure when one can).
However, this is small compensation for the fact that the British taxpayer (or rather more accurately the London taxpayer) will have to foot the bill for this unwanted white elephant.
Jowell said that she could not rule out funding the shortfall with a further raid on the National Lottery, or by increasing the contribution made by London's council-tax payers.
The original budget of £2.375bn has now been derided as a "fag packet" calculation, and Jowell conceded that the current figure is more like £3.3bn.
This figure is of course nonsense, as the real costs are likely to exceed £8BN.
Why do the organisers keep trying to hide the truth from people?
Answer: because they are incompetent and venal.
Jack Lemley knew the score when he resigned, he saw very clearly that the costs of clearing the toxic waste from the site selected to hold the Olympics would be astronomical.
Why did the organisers choose a toxic dump to hold the Olympics on?
Did they tell the IOC this when they made the bid?
Anyone care to spill the beans on that?
Jowell did her best to blame everyone and everything else for this shambles; rising costs on construction inflation, the doubling of steel prices and a revised figure for public transport links serving the Games site near Stratford. Rather oddly the the original bid figure did not include the £400M cost of hiring the international project management consortium CLM.
Jowell warned that there were further "potential liabilities"; the costs of Olympic security £1BN, the extent of a contingency fund within the budget and a VAT bill of £250M
None of these were in the original budget.
The fact remains a budget is meant to take into account all of the costs.
The organisers have failed, and should be removed from their positions of responsibility.
Whether that happens or not, it is clear that the taxpayers will be screwed as a result of this shambles.
Monday, November 20, 2006
The Olympic Shambles
True to form, the 2012 London Olympics are now budgetarily out of control. The costs of holding this event are now expected to exceed £8BN, the original budget was for £2.4BN (it was then upgraded only last week to £5BN).
I warned of the dangers of spiraling costs last week, but never expected them to rise by over 50% again in less than a week.
To add to the shambles it is reported that Jack Lemley, the ex CEO of the Olympic Delivery Authority, resigned because of his worries over the budget. Specifically he feared that the cost of decontaminating the land, on which the Olympics will be held, will run out of control; he aslo feared that deadlines to decontaminate the land will be missed.
Mr Lemley also has sharply rebuked Mayor Ken Livingstone for alleging that Lemley resigned owing to health reasons, and a "major heart operation".
Mr Lemley stated that the operation was not major, and that he is extremely fit.
The one thing that we can all be sure of is that the costs of the fiasco will keep rising, and that the politicians such as Livingstone and Jowell (Culture Secretary) will do their best to avoid the blame.
Never allow politicians to take charge of major projects.
I warned of the dangers of spiraling costs last week, but never expected them to rise by over 50% again in less than a week.
To add to the shambles it is reported that Jack Lemley, the ex CEO of the Olympic Delivery Authority, resigned because of his worries over the budget. Specifically he feared that the cost of decontaminating the land, on which the Olympics will be held, will run out of control; he aslo feared that deadlines to decontaminate the land will be missed.
Mr Lemley also has sharply rebuked Mayor Ken Livingstone for alleging that Lemley resigned owing to health reasons, and a "major heart operation".
Mr Lemley stated that the operation was not major, and that he is extremely fit.
The one thing that we can all be sure of is that the costs of the fiasco will keep rising, and that the politicians such as Livingstone and Jowell (Culture Secretary) will do their best to avoid the blame.
Never allow politicians to take charge of major projects.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
London Olympics Bill Soars
As predicted on this site, the bill for the London 2012 Olympics is already way out of control.
The bill is now expect to be above £5BN, the original budget of £3.4BN has been thrown away.
Many excuses have been given for this appalling lack of cost control, and poor budgeting; extra security costs, an unforeseen VAT bill and private Treasury predictions of enormous cost overruns.
However, the overriding reason is clear; never, ever trust politicians to prepare accurate budgets or control costs. They are incapable, especially when the costs and budgets relate to an ego boosting extravaganza such as the Olympics.
Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, claims that council taxpayers in London should not have to contribute more than the £625M already pledged. He would say that, and it should be remembered that he promised faithfully not to increase the congestion charge; a promise he promptly reneged on, once he was re-elected to office.
The lesson?
Don't trust politicians.
A new Olympics cost estimate is being worked out between Olympic project managers, the Treasury and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Needless to say this will be reviewed in the fullness of time as well.
The Chancellor's officials are so scared about the prospect of further budgetary disaster, that they are insisting on a contingency fund of 60% of the estimated £1BN building costs.
Hugh Robertson, the Tory spokesman, said:
"This is a story of monumental incompetence."
Jack Lemley, the American engineer who quit as chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), raised the alarm the other week when he cited political interference and cost overruns as the reason for his unexpected departure.
As expected, this will be a shambles.
Sensible countries should do all they can to avoid hosting the Olympics, they are nothing but trouble and a waste time and money.
The bill is now expect to be above £5BN, the original budget of £3.4BN has been thrown away.
Many excuses have been given for this appalling lack of cost control, and poor budgeting; extra security costs, an unforeseen VAT bill and private Treasury predictions of enormous cost overruns.
However, the overriding reason is clear; never, ever trust politicians to prepare accurate budgets or control costs. They are incapable, especially when the costs and budgets relate to an ego boosting extravaganza such as the Olympics.
Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, claims that council taxpayers in London should not have to contribute more than the £625M already pledged. He would say that, and it should be remembered that he promised faithfully not to increase the congestion charge; a promise he promptly reneged on, once he was re-elected to office.
The lesson?
Don't trust politicians.
A new Olympics cost estimate is being worked out between Olympic project managers, the Treasury and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Needless to say this will be reviewed in the fullness of time as well.
The Chancellor's officials are so scared about the prospect of further budgetary disaster, that they are insisting on a contingency fund of 60% of the estimated £1BN building costs.
Hugh Robertson, the Tory spokesman, said:
"This is a story of monumental incompetence."
Jack Lemley, the American engineer who quit as chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), raised the alarm the other week when he cited political interference and cost overruns as the reason for his unexpected departure.
As expected, this will be a shambles.
Sensible countries should do all they can to avoid hosting the Olympics, they are nothing but trouble and a waste time and money.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
London Struggles
London politicians will meet today, in special session, to debate the financial health of the London 2012 Olympics games.
The special meeting has been arranged as a result of claims from the former chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, Jack Lemley, that London will struggle to come in on time and on budget.
Mr Lemley resigned from his Olympics post recently, due to his fears that the Olympics would fail.
The special meeting has been arranged as a result of claims from the former chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, Jack Lemley, that London will struggle to come in on time and on budget.
Mr Lemley resigned from his Olympics post recently, due to his fears that the Olympics would fail.
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