Irony

Without the faintest hint, or recognition of, irony the minister responsible for presiding over the London Olympics budget (that has ballooned from £3BN to £12BN) has accused the borough of Southwark of not adequately planning for the Olympics.

Tessa Jowell, who features regularly on this site, has castigated Southwark's lack of planning for the 2012 Games and warned that it could miss out on millions of pounds.

Seemingly Southwark council has not yet released its Olympic Vision statement that in theory would provide a strategy to attract the tourists, teams and sponsorship that Jowell claims will flood London.

Ms Jowell said:

"What the council is doing is basically giving away the opportunity that the Olympics will bring to Southwark.

Southwark has been left behind if you compare the planning that Lambeth and Lewisham has put in. It's almost impossible to get any information from the council and the people in Southwark are right behind the Games.

The borough has a massive tourist and commercial potential and if the planning is not put in then it could lose out on millions of pounds."

Given that the games are in East London, I am forced to ask why would the tourists trek all the way down to Southwark?

Quite rightly Sothwark council (which annoys Jowell by not being Labour) fired a well aimed riposte at Jowell. Council leader Councillor Nick Stanton said:

"Southwark council is focused on achieving its ambitious regeneration programme, which will change the lives of thousands of local people.

Because of the Government's decision to cut the council's funding we are focusing on achieving these goals. We are more interested in creating our vision for Southwark than writing a vision statement for the Government."

The Olympics 2012 is the government's vanity project, aside from lining the pockets of those directly involved with the games, it will do nothing to enhance the lives and prosperity of the citizens of Britain.