London Olympics - Should the National Lottery foot the Bill?

[John S]

See the news link below - I was under the impression that the major incentive for bring the Olympics to London in 2012 was the urban regeneration employment and tourism benefits it would bring to London – these are government and commercial concerns, so why should a charitable fund stump up for it, and why should Scottish charities suffer as a result.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6279869.stm

[Beachcomber]

It's certainly not what I envisioned the Lottery Fund being used for. Just how much benefit can Kintyre expect to get from this London Lunacy? Nil, nada, nothing - and I can't see Scotland as a whole doing much better.

To be fair to the rest of the UK pretty much anyone outside of the South East of England and the Home counties probably isn't going to get much out of it either.

Look on the bright side though, if progress on the new Wembly Stadium is anything to go by, the Olympic Park will still be well-short of completion by the time 2012 comes around.

[general jack o'niell]

no

in fact they can take their olympics and frick right off

not half way off, but right frick off, till they run out of dry stuff

if jade can get it easy for being a pigfaced rascist, 2007 is the year i give it to the engerlanders at every opportunity

[Annie]

No freakin' way. The Cockney's can go chase themsels!!!!!!!!!!

[bill]

An extract from BBC news report yesterday........

Cost of 2012 Olympics 'up £900m'

The costs of the games have gone up 38% in just over a year
The expected cost of the 2012 London Olympic park has risen 40% since the games were won in July 2005, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has told MPs.
The extra £900m cost was likely to be met by London council tax payers and lottery funds, Ms Jowell suggested.

The new £3.3bn estimate, which does not include a revised security bill or regeneration costs, is still far below the £8bn some critics say is likely.

The Tories said the budget had gone "disastrously wrong".


Where is it all going to end?

[Malky]

Doesn't seem right to me to be using charity money for a commercial venture. I wonder, will the money be made up in future years from any profits made by the businesses concerned?

Malky

[Beachcomber]

Given that they're the people most likely to benefit both recreationally and financially from the Olympics, surely the bulk of the bill should be paid for by the good people of London and the South East?

I can really see that being a vote-catcher though.

It will be interesting to see whether the lottery coffers are thrown open to help fund the Commonwealth Games in 2014, assuming Glasgow gets it.

[bill]

Things have just gone from bad to worse at London's Olympic site as more news emerges about the cost debacle.

Lord Seb Coe, head lordy bloke behind the bid told the press:

"Well I think it all started when we accepted a bid from some lads in a battered van who happened to knock on our door. They offered to build us all the infrastructure, stadia and services 'Top job like guv'nor for £675 cash in hand'

It seems now that costs have gone up and they're going to have to do the job 'all legit like sorr, troo de books loike' and this has caused costs to rocket to £9.3 billion"

A spokesman for the company, Murphy, Brady Murphy and Murphy told The Spoof:

"Ah now like, 'twas all set up and we'd shook hands on a price and everything but then somebody shopped us to the VAT man and we've had to go official"

We asked; why the dramatic increase even allowing for the fact that the job is now going through official channels? The spokesman told us:

"Ah now! I know nothing about that loike sorr. I just operate de digger and make de tea"

[ionnsaigh]

Aye Bill,
Funny ha-ha , type of racism ( a funny story? ).

[bill]

Racism my erse!!!

Get a grip!!!

[John S]

The lottery has already slashed its budget in Scotland by £50m. Why should services, which support the most vulnerable people in our communities and, ironically, many youth sport activities in Scotland suffer.

As for a vote catcher, this is exactly the kind of issue, which illustrate the disadvantage Scotland has in being part of an unfair union. I am sick of hearing ken Livingston droning on about Scots being subsidised by Londners
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid ... =837422006
(which is total carp btw) If we are such a burden then why is Blue Labour and their Conservative chums so desperate to keep it? Somewhere out of the way to stash the nukes I guess

I want to hear what other candidates standing for the Council or Executive have to sat about this, any takers?

Mary G, are you out there?

[mary,queen of everything]

I think the olympics should go back to their origins and stay in Greece with some kind of payment for improvement & upkeep from the participating countries. As to the winter games maybe Norway, Iceland or antartica.

[ionnsaigh]

If national lottery funds are to be used to finance an English event. Then it is only fair that the other three countries should have a similar amount from the fund.
At the press of a button ticket sales from each of the respective countries, could be established. If the English amount represented 2% of sales, then each of the countries should get 2% of their ticket sales. problem solved.

[Annie]

Sounds like a fair shake to me Ions.

[ionnsaigh]

Annie,
Glad to see you see the fairness in Marxism