1,200 More Troops Deployed

The government has deployed another 1,200 troops to protect the Olympic games.

The government states that there is no specific security threat, but it just doesn't want to take any chances.

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Jeremy Hunt Feels Safer

Apparently Jeremy Hunt thinks that it's a "good thing" that soldiers are guarding the London 2012 venues, as opposed to G4S.

He is quoted by the Telegraph:

“That makes me feel safer, so I think it's a good thing.” 

That being the case, why did the government and Locog originally contract G4S to guard Olympic venues?

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G4S Win Gold Medal For Spectacular Olympic Incompetence

In April I wrote the following about G4S (the company that is meant to provide security for the Olympics Park):

"The cost of providing security for the games has rocketed skywards, eg elements of the main contract with private security provider G4S have increased by up to seven times."

With only a fortnight to go until the Olympics and G4S and the costs of providing security for the Olympics have yet again hit the headlines, in a spectacular manner.

G4S have failed to deliver on their contract to provide sufficient trained security staff for the Olympics Park, as such the government is having to cover the shortfall with 3,500 troops (many of whom are returning home on leave having just finished a tour of duty in Afghanistan). In a remarkable display of incompetence, G4S only informed the Government that it was struggling to fulfill its brief only in the last fortnight.

Although G4S is rumoured (according to Channel 4 News last night) to be being fined around £50K per day for its incredible incompetence, this is but a drop in the ocean when compared to the £535M that they are making from the Olympics contract.

Needless to say, were the Olympics being run in transparent and open manner the taxpayers (who are paying for this corporate marketing fest) would have the right to look at the contract that G4S has signed for providing security for the Games. Unfortunately the Olympics are not being run in an open and transparent manner, and the contract is not available for public scrutiny.

Why are the taxpayers, who are funding the Games, not allowed to satisfy themselves that their money has been wisely spent and that contracts signed in their names have been negotiated in their best interests?

As an FCA and experienced fraud investigator I would never advise people to put money into a project/business without them at the very least seeing the contract and reviewing it thoroughly, taking advice from independent finance/legal professionals.

The government would argue that they acted in the interest of taxpayers when reviewing and negotiating the contract with G4S. However, as can be seen from this omnishambles of incompetence, it is clear that the government was not up to the job of looking after taxpayers' interests.

Needless to say the fact that troops are being brought in to cover G4S's failure means that the costs of the Olympics will rise. When will the government tell us by how much?

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Residents of Fred Wigg Abandon Legal Challenge To Olympic Missiles

Residents of the Fred Wigg Tower in Leytonstone (a 17-storey tower block near the Olympic Park) lost their right to challenge the decision by the army to deploy missiles on top of their building yesterday.

The Fred Wigg residents applied for permission to seek judicial review of the government's decision to deploy the missiles, saying it was a "disproportionate interference" with their human rights, and they were not consulted properly over the siting of the ground-based air defence system.

They argued that those who wanted to move out should at least be relocated in hotels by the MoD or a gantry should be erected for the missiles away from the tower block.

However, Justice Haddon-Cave said on Tuesday:

"In my judgment, the MoD's voluntary engagement with the community and residents in this matter were immaculate."

The residents have today abandoned their challenge to the decision.


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Danny Boyle's #Savethesurprise Olympics Crusade

Danny Boyle, the artistic director of the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, has been forced to apologise to the 10,000 volunteers who will appear in the opening ceremony on 27 July over "spoilers" that have been appearing in the press.

The email apology asks that the volunteers "stay virtuous", the BBC quotes him:

"Many of you have been dismayed by the media scrutiny on the show.

I am sorry that, despite our best efforts, we appear to be unable to stop these stories appearing in the press."

I am more than a little "bemused" at Boyle's apparent surprise/disappointment over the press interest and stories about the opening ceremony:

1 He is an experienced film director and producer, he knows full well how the media operates.

2 He himself held a media briefing last month, where he revealed that the ceremony would feature a recreation of the "British countryside" featuring country scenes and farmyard animals.

3 The London Olympics are being heavily promoted by the government, sports bodies and businesses; of course the media are interested in what will happen in the opening ceremony.

4 With 10,000 volunteers, even if they have all signed a non disclosure agreement, there will be leaks.

I cannot understand how Boyle could have been so naive about this?

Notwithstanding the apology, in an action that is guaranteed to create even more media interest in the opening ceremony, Boyle has asked that everyone involved to start Tweeting pleas to the media and others to #savethesurprise.

Even Seb Coe has joined the Tweet crusade:
"Seb Coe ‏@sebcoe

Share the frustration of volunteer performers and the public at Opening Ceremony being unofficially trailed. Let’s #savethesurprise"

Is Boyle trying to increase the media frenzy over the opening ceremony, or is this a genuine (if misguided) attempt to damp down leaks and speculation?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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The Green and Pleasant Olympics

The BBC reports that the Olympic Stadium will be transformed into an idealised "romanticist's" view of the "British countryside" for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Games on 27 July.

Seemingly a cast of 10,000 volunteers will recreate country scenes, against a backdrop featuring farmyard animals and landmarks like Glastonbury Tor. Up to 30 sheep, 12 horses, 10 chickens, 10 ducks, 9 geese, 3 cows, 3 sheepdogs and 2 goats will also appear.

The opening ceremony, costing £27M, will be called "Green and Pleasant".

The organisers appear to have little sense/understanding of British history, some 200 years ago Britain went through an industrial and agricultural revolution that transformed its way of life and its economy. To ignore a development that has enabled us to "afford" to pay for the £12BN Olympics, and has transformed our way of life, is to ignore the last two hundred years of this country's history.

Why do the organisers want to sweep the last 200 years under the carpet?


Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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G4S Told To Smile!

Staff at G4S, the security company that banned photographers from taking pictures of the Olympics Park on public land, have been told to smile to people during the forthcoming Olympics.

For why?

They are company that has been hired to provide security over and above the police, army, navy and RAF; and it is of concern that they may be a tad "over-zealous" in their attempts to maintain security and control around the Games.


Mark Hamilton, the man leading G4S's Olympic security team which will operate airport-style searches and screening at venues, said guards were being encouraged to engage with spectators is quoted by Reuters:

"I think it is very relevant not to over-react to situations that arise on the first day - to make sure they are properly assessed and that the communications process is working in the way it should so that the decisions are made at the right time and people act in the right way."

He referred to the photography incident and noted:

"There's no doubt that's a lesson learnt, not to overly criticise the workforce and the guards involved because they are operating under a regime where hostile reconnaissance is something they have to be aware of.

How they handle that, and how they manage it and how they report it is obviously something we've learnt a lesson from."

A G4S spokesperson admitted that ‘two members of our staff incorrectly intervened to prevent photographers from doing their work at Olympic Park’ adding that this is something it ‘regrets and [we] have instructed and reminded our staff to operate completely within the law’.

It is good that G4S are learning lessons, given that they have, according to David Hencke, had to admit in their annual report that they need to train people to understand human rights.

Details of some of G4S's activities can be found in this report by Unite "Tax Avoidance, Strike Breaking and Human Rights Abuses".


Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Security Costs Break Budget

It should come as no surprise to learn that the London 2012 Olympics Budget (currently standing at £12BN, including running costs) is set to be broken, as the costs for security spiral.

Anti-terrorism measures will cost an estimated £1.5BN, they were originally "budgeted" at being £500M.

Among the extra measures being considered, to protect athletes and spectators from an attack, include drafting in the Army. Military helicopters will patrol overhead and jets will be on stand-by to protect a no-fly zone over the Olympic stadium in Stratford.

The security operation is expected to be the largest in peacetime Britain, the event is being classed as a major terrorist target.

A cynic might suggest that the police are using the event to push the Home Office into paying for security measures over and above the needs of the Games, such as demands for a new police command and control centre.

Surely not!

The irony is that there is in fact, as yet, no costed security plan. Seemingly one won't exist until the end of this year.

It would not be unreasonable to ask at this juncture how it is that the organisers can claim that the budget is £12BN, when there is in fact no budget for over 10% of the estimated current costs of the games.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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