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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Legacy Targets Falling Short

The London Assembly Economic Development, Culture, Sport and Tourism Committee stated in a report today that organisers of the London 2012 Olympics are falling short on delivering employment targets, tourism strategy and sports participation.

Quote:

"The promise of a legacy was a significant factor in London winning the bid to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Urban and social regeneration, and increased sports participation, were to be the hallmarks of these Games.

Some aspects are on track, but there are still areas that need more attention to deliver the promises that were made."

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Photos Banned

Photographers wishing to take pictures of the Olympic construction site in East London have been warned they will be questioned if suspected of photographing 'security operations'.

Amateur photographer Dr Patrick Green found this out to his cost on 14 June, when security guards stopped him taking pictures from a public road that leads to the Olympic site.

Amateur Photographer quoted him:

"One guard also threatened to call more security who he said 'would come with dogs'.

At first I didn't notice that there was a security guard in a cabin to the left of the barrier and took a few pictures. I then walked closer to get a better view. Next to the blue fence is what I assumed to be part of the Olympic Village construction and I wanted to include that in my picture.

The guard saw me and called out that photography was forbidden… I said that I was on public land, could take pictures if I wanted and that this had been confirmed by Olympics bosses in the past."

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Slump Hits Flats

The Guardian reports that the slump in property prices has resulted in the number of post Olympic apartments, in London's Olympic Park, being reduced from 4,200 to about 2,800.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Lost!

Despite continuous assurances from those "in charge" of the London Olympics, and their political masters, that everything is under control (despite a rise in the budget from under £3BN to £12BN) it seems that £100M of taxpayers' money has been "lost".

A £100M black hole has appeared, as if by magic, in the 2012 Olympics accounts of the London Development Agency (LDA) - the budget for which is not included in the £12BN Olympics budget.

A routine audit of the accounts has uncovered large accounting irregularities, and a team of external accountants from KPMG has been called in to investigate the "lost" money.

Gareth Blacker, who oversaw the purchase of the huge Olympic site on the Lea Valley, and his accountant have been suspended. No evidence of wrongdoing is attached to either Mr Blacker or his accountant.

A source told The Times:

"This has gone beyond a routine audit, into the realms of a fraud investigation".

This gives me little faith in how our £12BN Olympics' budget is being "managed".

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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London's Burning

Despite costing £1.4BN the new fire emergency response control system, designed to deal with major incidents such as a terrorist attack at the 2012 Olympics, will not be operational until after the Games.

It needs to be up and running at least a year before the Games, in order to allow problems to be ironed out. However, it is likely to be delayed until after 2012.

Money well spent!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Bankruptcy Looms

The British Olympic Association (BOA) made a £1.5M loss last year (the previous year it made a loss of £1.3M), which required it to beg for £2M of funding from the Organising Committee for London 2012.

In the event that the BOA cannot staunch these ongoing losses, it will be bankrupt before the games in 2012.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Mass Grave Found on Olympics Site

Reuters report:

"An ancient burial pit containing 45 severed skulls, that could be a mass war grave dating back to Roman times, has been found under a road being built for the 2012 British Olympics."

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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