Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, admitted yesterday that he ensnared ministers to host the London 2012 Games.
He also admitted that the didn't give a stuff about the three weeks of sport, but that his plan was to ensure that the East End of London was regenerated.
Quote:
"I didn't bid for the Olympics because I wanted three weeks of sport.
I bid for the Olympics because it's the only way to get the billions of pounds out of the government to develop the East End.
It's exactly how I played it to ensnare the government to put money into an area it has neglected for 30 years."
I assume he won't be attending the opening ceremony then?
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The only way to get billions of pounds into East London? So Docklands is technically not East London then? The area has had money poured into it for decades, not that it's had any impact on deprivation.
ReplyDeleteAs Lord Mawson pointed out in the Lord's 2012 legacy debate in January - "When you live and work in east London, you know that the Olympics are not the biggest show in town. They are, as one Newham councillor recently put it, only the third biggest regeneration scheme in Newham alone."
Ken was conned, just like everyone else.