The Largest Security Operation Since WWII

The Olympics in 2012 is turning out to be a security nightmare, presenting the Home Office with the largest peacetime security operation since the Second World War.

There will be up to 10,000 officers policing the event, this accounts for around 7% of all the police in England and Wales.

Unsurprisingly the heavy burden, and concentration of policing required for the event, threatens to "displace" crime, trouble and terrorism to other parts of the UK.

The costs of policing will, according to Jacqui Smith Home Secretary, remain "on budget" (whatever that really means) at £600M - unless the terror threat is raised from "severe" to "critical".

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Walk, Cycle, Ride

London Olympics organisers are trying to encourage 385,000 spectators to travel between the London 2012 venues by using public transport and cycle/walking routes.

The walk, cycle, ride scheme will cost £11.5M.

It will cost much more than £11.5M to bring London's geriatric and overburdened public transport network into the 21st century.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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The Kiss of Death

The Prime Minister Gordon Brown has publicly backed Tess Jowell, the beleagured minister for the 2012 Olympic Games, in the face of the four and a half year conviction of her estranged husband for accepting a $600K bribe from Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi.

"Tessa Jowell is minister for the Olympics. She's doing a very good job, and I have confidence in her ability to continue doing that job".

Berlusconi told the press that he was "100 percent certain" that Mills would be acquitted on appeal.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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The Destruction of East London

Hackney resident and author Iain Sinclair reports for Channel 4 News on how developments for the 2012 Olympic Games are destroying east London.

So much for the Legacy!



Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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The £800K "Legacy"

It transpires that the long suffering British taxpayer will be footing the bill for the 2012 Olympics stadium for years to come after the games, to the tune of £800K per annum.

For why?

No commercial operator is prepared to takeover the site after the games.

Three years ago the government promised that the venues would not cost the taxpayer anything after the games.

Tessa Jowell continues to insist that the "budget", currently standing at £12BN (including running costs), won't be exceeded.

Does anyone still believe her?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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The Olympics Defies The Laws of a Recession

Despite the fact that we are now facing the worst recession for decades, the costs of the 2012 Olympics are defying normal economic laws during a recession and are continuing to rise.

The Telegraph reports that the cost of venues have risen by £97M in the last year, and are projected to rise by a total of £371M by 2012. It also notes that there is now only £500M of the £2BN contingency fund left to cover unforeseen emergencies and shortfalls.

Despite all of this the hapless Olympics Minister, Tessa Jowell, stated:

"This shows we are on course to remain on budget despite the economic downturn."

Jowell may care to reflect on the accuracy of that statement. The original "budget" for the Olympics was around £3BN, it now currently stands at £12BN (including £2BN running costs).

Precisely how can she claim, with a straight face, that the budget is "on course"?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Biometric Security Delayed

Plans to introduce face recognition and fingerprint technology to control entry to the 2012 Olympics construction site are still out to tender. This is despite the fact that thousands of construction workers are already on site, constructing the building of a "ring of steel" fence around the Olympic Park.

The high tech security was meant to be in place by now.

An Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) claim that the current interim measures are robust.

That being the case, why do they need to to waste money on a high tech replacement?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Gagged?

BBC London claim to have found that some contracts between the London 2012 Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) forbid the contractors from talking to third parties (without ODA permission) about costs, plans and other issues.

The BBC also claim to have seen contracts that allow the ODA to search companies' premises and emails, if they are suspected of breaching the confidentiality clauses.

The ODA deny this, and are quoted in the Telegraph:

"We have not seen the contracts to which the BBC are referring but we have an excellent record on transparency."

I guess the BBC were mistaken then?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Lawyers To Make a Killing

Every cloud has a silver lining, and it should come as no surprise to learn that even if the Olympics are a colossal waste of money and that we are facing the worst recession for decades, lawyers will still make money out of the games.

That at least is the view of Charles Tomlinson of Mace & Jones'.

He is quoted on Heating and Ventilating News:

"When London was awarded the Olympics the construction sector was booming. It was a welcome bonus for the sector. Now it will be seen as vital for the survival of many companies at time of unprecedented crisis in the sector.

With margins going through the floor and the commercial sector in freefall, all parties will be looking to protect their positions. This is not the ideal environment for a project of the scale and importance of the Olympics.

If, or example, you are waiting payment, does the other party have the means to pay? If so, a well timed adjudication can protect cash flow.

In relation to more complex disputes, parties must consider alternative forms of dispute resolution such as mediation, expert determination or just good old fashioned commercial negotiation to keep the project alive".

The lawyers will at least do very well out of the games!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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