Hockney letter in Telegraph today

eublues · 18-11-2006, 10:45 AM

Olympic burden

Sir - As a fellow member of the London Assembly economic development committee, I echo Dee Doocey's concerns about small and medium businesses losing out in the bureaucratic Olympic procurement process (report, November 16), but there is little that anyone can do to tackle the problem.

As we pointed out when false hopes about benefits for small businesses and local employment were raised, most of the bureaucracy is stipulated by the European Union, so is beyond the control of any local authority, or even Westminster. The example of the Atlanta Games has been cited, but Atlanta did not have to contend with EU procurement directives.

Similarly, while the fiasco of omitting VAT from budget estimates cannot be blamed on the EU, Gordon Brown's claim that the problem can be rectified by shuffling money around between departments falls foul of EU VAT and subsidy rules. So it seems that, whichever way we turn to make these Olympics into a financial asset instead of a millstone, we are frustrated by EU rules that we have no power to change.

Damian Hockney, Leader, One London Party, London Assembly, London SE1

mkpdavies · 18-11-2006, 10:54 AM

Good work!

eublues · 18-11-2006, 11:16 AM

As it happens there are letters in the Times today about the Olympics.

In comparison with Hockney's letter these are light-weight efforts and, as usual, miss the EU dimension.

Typical thin gruel from the Times.

Sir, On the evidence of a recent FA Cup tie, the policing and security costs of the 2012 Olympics will be astronomical (“Cost of Olympics may hit £6 billion”, Nov 16). Non-league Havant and Waterlooville were left with a bill for £36,000 after a match, which they had to play at Fratton Park in Portsmouth for security reasons, and which attracted fewer than 6,000 people. The perception of a potential threat to public safety will turn London’s successful bid into a financial nightmare.

MARTIN LITCHFIELD
Wimborne, Dorset

Sir, News that the cost of the London Olympics may overrun by 60 per cent is of special concern for charities. Some £1.5 billion of lottery income is already being diverted to meet the costs of the Olympics, leaving a projected shortfall in funding to good causes.

Charities want the Olympics to be a success, but it is vital that good causes do not lose out as a result of rising costs. The Treasury must therefore conduct a full review of the 12 per cent tax on lottery tickets. By reducing or abolishing this tax and returning it to good causes, the Treasury could ensure that charities and other good causes are not penalised if the Olympics go over budget.

STUART ETHERINGTON
Chief Executive, National Council for Voluntary Organisations

Sir, I have concerns for the 240,000 people who will arrive at the Olympic park each hour (“The Games in numbers”, Nov 16). The stadium takes 80,000 people, the aquatic centre takes 5,000, the competitors and officials account for 16,000 and the media another for 21,000 — a total of 122,000 people. Does this mean that nobody can stay in the park longer than half an hour?

ROGER PORTER
Whaddon, Bucks

One Londoner · 21-11-2006, 03:40 PM

The Olympic budget story is now taking off (along with the budget itself - as we predicted

). The front page of Sunday's Observer carried the story http://politics.guardian.co.uk/gla/s...951980,00.html and today's revelations by Tessa Jowell that another £900 million (yeah, right, Tessa :roll: ) will have to come from London council tax payers and/or lottery sales will keep it humming along. It was also thelondonpaper front page story last night.

We have been plugging away at this story for over two years and it is now beginning to bear fruit. We forced through an Assembly motion last Wednesday as follows:

Quote:

"Given the concerns over the cost of the London 2012 Olympics emphasized by the resignation of Jack Lemley from the Olympic Delivery Authority, escalating costs and uncertainties over VAT liabilities and inflation estimates, this Assembly calls on the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to give an unequivocal guarantee that London council tax payers will not be called upon to make any further contribution beyond the £625 million that they are already committed to pay."

Proposed by Damian Hockney
Seconded by Peter Hulme Cross

which generated some favourable coverage - http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/n...out_threat.php

mkpdavies · 21-11-2006, 03:46 PM

You certainly have the moral high ground. I remember people moaning about the position you took at the time, but I was 100% behind it. Sometimes you just have to go against the brainwashing and mass hysteria and stand up for what you believe.

In the long term, you will be better thought of as a result.

18-11-2006, 10:45 AM	#1 (permalink)
eublues Uber Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 3,100	Hockney letter in Telegraph today Olympic burden Sir - As a fellow member of the London Assembly economic development committee, I echo Dee Doocey's concerns about small and medium businesses losing out in the bureaucratic Olympic procurement process (report, November 16), but there is little that anyone can do to tackle the problem. As we pointed out when false hopes about benefits for small businesses and local employment were raised, most of the bureaucracy is stipulated by the European Union, so is beyond the control of any local authority, or even Westminster. The example of the Atlanta Games has been cited, but Atlanta did not have to contend with EU procurement directives. Similarly, while the fiasco of omitting VAT from budget estimates cannot be blamed on the EU, Gordon Brown's claim that the problem can be rectified by shuffling money around between departments falls foul of EU VAT and subsidy rules. So it seems that, whichever way we turn to make these Olympics into a financial asset instead of a millstone, we are frustrated by EU rules that we have no power to change. Damian Hockney, Leader, One London Party, London Assembly, London SE1

18-11-2006, 10:54 AM	#2 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,824 Party: Libertarian Party	Good work! __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

21-11-2006, 03:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,824 Party: Libertarian Party	You certainly have the moral high ground. I remember people moaning about the position you took at the time, but I was 100% behind it. Sometimes you just have to go against the brainwashing and mass hysteria and stand up for what you believe. In the long term, you will be better thought of as a result. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

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18-11-2006, 11:16 AM	#3 (permalink)
eublues Uber Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 3,100	As it happens there are letters in the Times today about the Olympics. In comparison with Hockney's letter these are light-weight efforts and, as usual, miss the EU dimension. Typical thin gruel from the Times. Sir, On the evidence of a recent FA Cup tie, the policing and security costs of the 2012 Olympics will be astronomical (“Cost of Olympics may hit £6 billion”, Nov 16). Non-league Havant and Waterlooville were left with a bill for £36,000 after a match, which they had to play at Fratton Park in Portsmouth for security reasons, and which attracted fewer than 6,000 people. The perception of a potential threat to public safety will turn London’s successful bid into a financial nightmare. MARTIN LITCHFIELD Wimborne, Dorset Sir, News that the cost of the London Olympics may overrun by 60 per cent is of special concern for charities. Some £1.5 billion of lottery income is already being diverted to meet the costs of the Olympics, leaving a projected shortfall in funding to good causes. Charities want the Olympics to be a success, but it is vital that good causes do not lose out as a result of rising costs. The Treasury must therefore conduct a full review of the 12 per cent tax on lottery tickets. By reducing or abolishing this tax and returning it to good causes, the Treasury could ensure that charities and other good causes are not penalised if the Olympics go over budget. STUART ETHERINGTON Chief Executive, National Council for Voluntary Organisations Sir, I have concerns for the 240,000 people who will arrive at the Olympic park each hour (“The Games in numbers”, Nov 16). The stadium takes 80,000 people, the aquatic centre takes 5,000, the competitors and officials account for 16,000 and the media another for 21,000 — a total of 122,000 people. Does this mean that nobody can stay in the park longer than half an hour? ROGER PORTER Whaddon, Bucks