Banquo's Ghost

The BBC, with a degree of partisan delight, report that Former Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell has been offered a place on the Olympic board running the Games.

I don't recall her as being particularly good when she was Olympics Minister, or am I biased?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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No Political Football

AFP reports that Tessa Jowell, the Olympics Minister, told reporters at the start of a three day visit to Sao Paulo (which is hosting the 2016 Olympics) that the 2012 London Olympic Games will not be kicked around like a political football during the upcoming general election.

Of course they will!

She then added that she hoped that she would still be in charge of them after the polls.

Of course she won't!

Finally, for good measure, she said that they were "on budget".

Of course they're not!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Legacy

The Guardian reports that the Olympics Minister, Tessa Jowell, has called upon West Ham to bid for the Olympics stadium.

All very well, however if West Ham were to bid and win the bid this may well conflict with the promised Olympics legacy (as outlined in the original bid that won the UK the right to hold the 2012 Olympics).

For why?

The stadium capacity needs to be around 25,000, in order to accommodate the athletics legacy pledged to the IOC in London's bid.

However, this is not a capacity that would suit West Ham.

Who will win?

The bid that offers the most money.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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An Object Lesson

The shambles of the Vancouver Winter Olympics is providing a valuable object lesson for the organisers of the London 2012 Olympics.

The trouble is that the London Olympics are already massively over budget (£12BN against an initial budget of around £3BN), and have a much derided logo (Lisa Simpson giving head).

One wonders what other disasters can befall the London Olympics?

Lots actually, most especially those relating to our third world transportation system.

Even Tess Jowell, Olympics Minister, seems to have realised this. She told the Evening Standard:

"There are certainly lessons we can learn. We need to trial getting people to and from the venues so we are absolutely clear about the stress on the transport system and we can anticipate any problems."

Good luck with that then!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Olympics U Turn

Sportsbeat claim that "an official" has told them that the hapless Olympics Minister, Tessa Jowell, is now willing to allow West Ham to discuss moving into the Olympics stadium after the Games.

They quote the unnamed official:

"I was at meetings three or four years ago with the minister and Ken Livingstone, when he was Mayor of London, and they did not want to have a football club in there.

This is a significant U-turn."

Now here's the funny thing, if West Ham do move in they may well rebrand themselves as West Ham Olympic.

What about the "brand fascists" working for Locog et al, who zealously guard the Olympics brand by stomping on any person/small business who dares to mention "Olympics", "2012", "London" etc in their publicity?

Oh well, given that the organisers are desperate for someone to use the stadium afterwards, I am sure the "brand fascists" will be told to remove their jackboots on this occasion.

It's the money, not the sport, that matters!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Venue Plans Still Fluid

Aside from the ever elastic "budget", it seems that plans for the locations of certain 2012 Olympics venues are somewhat "fluid" as well.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has just finished its fifth visit to London, and is worried that venue plans are still not finalised.

Olympics Minister, Tessa Jowell, as per normal sees no problem. She is quoted on Sky News:

"The discussions are taking place with the international federations [and] we hope they will soon be completed.

Wembley Arena will be used, ExCel will be used and I think the other venues around London are very well known.

But this is the kind of negotiation you always get in an Olympics, but you usually get it much later in the day than this.

We're really ahead of the game."

This coming from the woman who still insists that the budget is on track.

No worries then!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Jowell Satisfied

The Olympics minister, Tessa Jowell, has stated in the government's quarterly report on the London 2012 Olympics that:

"This report shows we are still on time and still on budget."

SNORT!

What budget is she looking at then?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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PY Nails It

My compliments to former Millennium Dome supremo, PY Gerbeau, for nailing the Olympics 2012 nonsense squarely on the head re lack of accountability etc.

The hapless Jowell still claims it will cost less than £10BN!

See their chat on the BBC.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Olympics Now Costs £14BN

It seems that my warnings about the costs of the Olympics being out of control, made repeatedly on this site, are proving to be correct.

The Telegraph reports that the oft reported budget figure of £9.325BN is in fact bollocks. Note, I have repeatedly stated that the figure (even if costs don't rise) should be £12BN as there are around £2BN of running costs that need to be added in.

However, on top of this, the Telegraph notes that there are "hidden" costs being spent by other public bodies that amount to at least £2.7BN.

That brings the total cost of the Games (including £2BN running costs) to over £14BN.

My personal bet is that the costs will hit around £20BN by the time these games are held in 2012.

The hapless Olympics minister, Tessa Jowell, told Parliament last year:

"I have made it absolutely clear to all the many stakeholders in the Olympics that £9.325 billion is the absolute limit of public money, whether it comes from the lottery, the London council taxpayer or the Exchequer."

LOL!

The London Olympics will turn out to be a white elephant of monumental proportions.

BTW, I did warn the Mayor of London (20 June 2008) about the budget:

"Boris

I will stake my reputation (such as it is) on the fact that the cost for the games will hit £20BN

http://the2008olympics.blogspot.com/search?q=%C2%A320BN

Remember, on top of the current "budget" of £10BN there are £2BN running costs..you do know that don't you?

Good luck!

Ken Frost MA FCA FIPFM"

Oddly enough, he never answered!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Women's Boxing Given Green Light

The IOC's decision to allow women's boxing at the London 2012 Olympics has produced an effusive outburst of joy from Tessa Jowell (who will not be Olympics Minister by the time the games are staged).

She is quoted by the BBC:

"It will be a landmark moment come London 2012 when for the first time every sport will have women participating in it.

There are still major disparities in the number of medals women can win compared to men but this is a step in the right direction.

In this country women's boxing has come on in leaps and bounds and is growing quickly at all levels.

London 2012 will now create the first-ever generation of boxing heroines and hopefully inspire even more women to take up the sport."

Funny that, I thought that Labour and the Nanny state were anti boxing; as they regard it as dangerous and violent?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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It Hardly Ever Rains! II

Re my earlier article about claims by those who should know better that hardly ever rains in London:

"Mayor of London Boris Johnson claimed it was dry 94% of the time.

Olympic minister Tessa Jowell said: "In the unlikely event that, at some point it rains, people are used to pulling on raincoats in this country."

Maybe they should take a look at the London Olympics webcam?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Jowell Contradicts Johnson

Tessa Jowell has contradicted Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, over the legacy of the London Olympic Stadium.

Johnson said last week that it would be "very foolish to rule out" retaining at least a 50,000 capacity as England bids to host the 2018 World Cup

However, Jowell claims that it will not be a potential venue for the 2018 World Cup.

"We don't need another football stadium, we have got Wembley.

Funding the maintenance of a stadium between 2012 and 2018 is quite a stretch, so I think we will continue to develop the plan that we have for the Olympic Stadium."

The one small problem with Jowell blocking this is that she will be leaving Parliament at the next election, some two years before the Games. The final decision over the legacy of the stadium will therefore be made by someone else.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Jowell To Quit

The hapless Olympics Minister, Tessa Jowell, is to quit Parliament at the next election (latest 2010). Which means that she will be quitting at least two years before the London games.

Will this make any difference to the Olympics?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Jowell Nationalises Olympic Village

As expected, the private funds for the London Olympic Village have simply dried up, as the hapless Olympics Minister (Tessa Jowell) was forced to announce that the village has been "nationalised".

In other words the taxpayer is paying for construction, using the part of the contingency fund. To date £1.4BN of the £2.7BN fund has been used. Given that the Olympics are still three years away, this rapid draw down of the fund is somewhat alarming; and underscores the fact that the the Olympics budget (currently standing at £12BN including £2BN running costs) is not worth the paper that it is written on.

The "good" news, according to Jowell (quoted in the Telegraph) is that:

"It is clear that investing in the village will now save public money in the long term".

This of course is complete bollocks, as hosting the Olympics was never a compulsory event; ie no Olympics, no cost!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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LOL!!!

The hapless Olympics Minister, Tessa Jowell, is quoted in the Financial Times talking about future "tests" for proving the viability of a city wishing to host the Olympics:

"The test for the Olympics is no longer just about being on time and on budget, as important as they are..."

Errm could she please explain then why it is that the London Olympics "budget" has rocketed from under £3BN to £12BN (including £2BN running costs); and why, given this budgetary failure, London is a good example of a well run Olympic host
city?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Horsing Around

The hapless and hopeless Olympics Minister, Tessa Jowell, and LOCOG have something of a fight on their hands wrt their plans to use Greenwich Park for the 2012 equestrian events.

A campaign, No to Greenwich Olympic Equestrian Events (NOGOE), has been set up to fight the plans. Thhe campaign group has a number of high profile supporters such as Dr David Starkey, Sir David Nicholas, former head of ITN, Sir Frank Berman QC, a former legal adviser to the Foreign Office, and Sir Geoffrey Chipperfield, a former chief executive of the Property Services Agency.

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 £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

Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

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

Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

A Shot in The Arm?

Tessa Jowell referred to the Olympics 2012 as being a "shot in the arm", whilst appearing on BBC Two's Daily Politics programme, at a time when Britain is expected to go into recession.

She noted:

"But, as it turns out, facing a recession deeper than any that we have known, almost certainly, the Olympics is, I mean, it's economic gold at a time of economic need."

Given that the out of control "budget" currently stands at £12BN (including £2BN running costs) and is likely to rise further, as private finance deals fall through, why is so much money being wasted on this white elephant which will not produce any meaningful legacy?

This waste of resources is more akin to a shot in the head, rather than a shot in the arm.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"