Leader: London Olympics 2012 a cause for celebration
The countdown is almost over. The Olympics are almost upon us. The athletes and visitors are starting to flood in for what has been billed as the greatest show on earth.
The countdown is almost over. The Olympics are almost upon us. The athletes and visitors are starting to flood in for what has been billed as the greatest show on earth.
There has been an undeniable undercurrent to the London Games which has been very British.
The announcement that London had won the Olympics beauty contest fired the starting gun for a competition of Olympian standards of moaning and carping about the cost, the things that might go wrong, and the things that are going wrong.
From today some of the special travel arrangements begin in earnest.
Cue gripes and complaints about disruption to traffic, the favouritism inherent in the special “games lane” on the M4, and loudly expressed worries about whether Heathrow will be able to cope as thousands more than usual pass through.
For those seeking to seize on every hiccup and make political capital out of it, the failure of G4S to provide enough security staff has been played for all it is worth.
Is it a disaster if the Army has had to deploy more troops than planned? The armed forces are providing large numbers for security duties in any event. G4S has been found wanting. But so what?
The build-up to the games has been the playing surface on which the critics and politically-inspired doom-mongers have had a field day.
Unless things go seriously wrong, once this sporting celebration gets under way, their gloomy voices will at last be drowned out and their cynicism will be washed away by a tide of enthusiasm and the inspirational spectacle of the world’s greatest sportsmen and sportswomen striving for glory and meeting sporting triumph and sporting disaster in front of an enthralled global audience.
Comments for: "Leader: London Olympics 2012 a cause for celebration"
Roy Broad
Well said. The only thing that could dampen the London 2012 Olympic spirit is the weather. Oh for some sunshine, PLEASE.
R Suppards
Yes, it's a cause for celebration - for all those who would rather see a senseless, massively over-expensive display instead of a couple of hospitals, a quartet of decent schools, or more bobbies on the beat.
What a total waste of money is this Olympics, senselessly put on by a country almost on its financial knees. What a colossal waste of resources, a flagship of financial stupidity.
The Olympics should be permanently located in an internationally neutral area where facilities can be used over and over again, each participating country paying their own way to attend.
This is why I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in this fatuous event, and will be steadfastly switching channels, leaving the TV off, and doing something meaningful instead.
Drone
Wholeheartedly seconded RS. Snouts in the trough and jobs for the boys. Sickeningly profligate.
Katherine de Gama
I will be going to ground in a wilderness place which has no TV.
Mike
Agree with most of what you say its grown into a financial monster way out of control but it is the greatest sporting event in the world, I like your idea of a neutral location to spread the cost. does anyone know the ticket allocation in percentage terms public via corporate?
bob dobbs
There's so much wrong with this 'Leader' I don't know where to begin...
Drone
"G4S has been found wanting. But so what?"
G4S was paid the thick end of £300 million to provide a service and has patently failed to deliver, that's "so what". Blinkered doesn't even come close.
Robin Hood
the sporting achievements of all the participants is a cause for celebration.
the rest of it is not - the vast amounts of money going to the companies that have wangled themselves lucrative contracts and sponsorship deals (including those responsible for the atrocity at Bopal for which the victims have never been properly compensated). Coca cola who has managed to ban spectators from even taking in their own water to drink - license to print money. And, incidentally, spectators will not be allowed in if they are wearing branded T-shirts of those companies that are not sponsoring the Games.....certainly following China's shining example there.
it's costing the country a fortune and us ordinary, hard working folks won't see any of the benefits (except the TV spectacle), the payback will go to make company bosses richer.
Colin.Dodd.
I would think the only ones celebrating will be Coe and his gang, and G4S.
So far, it has proved to be the epitome of dis-organisation.
How Coe got the job beggars belief. His only managerial experience appears to be in managing to play down all the blunders, telling us all "it will be alright on the night". Maybe, we'll see.
John Howard
Yes, I agree, there is nothing finer we could have spent our money on. Only £12 Billon total costs - a small price to pay. £335,000 for the Jurassic Stones sculpture by Richard Harris - a bargain. £81 Million on the opening and closing ceremonies - just small change. Its so comforting to know that G4S will be there providing security at a bargain price and only needing a few thousand troops to back them up. It's so good to live in a country that has it's priorities right.
really confused
Who on earth was responsible for purchasing those 5 rings at £250,000?
So, let's see what the persons thought train was...."£250,000 for a very nice house or five rings...about the same sort of price, I would guess....... "£50,000 each or a top of the range car....yep about the same sort of work goes into both"......
Who bought them a five year old just out of playschool? I hope his mum does his food shop for him.
JOHN JONES
They would have flame cut those rings in a day, ground the edges,another day, dressed all the edges and painted them, Cost one weeks labour say, for 5 men approx £3,000. Add to this material costs, factory costs and the whole lot should work out less than £30,000.
Robert
" G4S has been found wanting. But so what?"
What an extraordinary statement.
The Government awards a multimillion pounds contract to a private firm who does not deliver. But so what? It's only taxpayers money.
Police forces are withdrawn from their regular duties in Manchester and other parts, in order to do the work the private firm did not deliver, leaving citizens who paid for those officers, unprotected. But so what?
The public sector ( police and army), already cut to the bone, has been called to cover up the big failure of the private sector. But so what?
The Olympic Games should be an example of fairness and excellence. They've been transformed into an example of greed, pretence and incompetence.
Woody
The true ethos of the Olympics has been lost to the greed and opportunism of Governments and corporate piggybackers.
It is truly great to support the atheletes who have made sacrifices to reach their goals, but it is not great to see money being the main driver of such an event.
Hence, anyone with any sense can see why there will be people who moan and gripe. So for the "Leader" to make such flippant comments as "so what" beggars belief and either a little ignorance or playing the devils advocate.
Doubter
Is this for real?
”G4S has been found wanting. But so what?”
Its only £300million of taxpayers monies, So what.
"Is it a disaster if the Army has had to deploy more troops than planned"
Try telling that to the armed service personal who have completed a tour of duty in Afgan, Iraq and were about to embark on much need leave with loved ones.
Or the Extra Police that will be "pulled" in from elesewhere leaving other areas already stretched to the limit.
Private sector, bailed out by the public Sector, what will happen when the Army/Police is smaller than it is now? So what.
"Cue gripes and complaints about disruption to traffic, the favouritism inherent in the special “games lane” on the M4, and loudly expressed worries about whether Heathrow will be able to cope as thousands more than usual pass through."
So what, the leader is 100+ miles away from these areas and will not distrupt his lifestyle.
twisting my melon
What would you rather be spent on . The Worlds largest festival of sport, or given to the Banks, because if you all think it was going to be spent on Hospitals and Schools then i'm afraid your all mistaken.......Mind you they could have done a Blair and given all the money to work shy sofa hoggers..
Peter
Fact 1 - the last Labour administration spent a lot on hospitals and schools.
Fact 2 - since they are determined to put at least a million out of work (in both the public and private sector) with savage cuts, whilst protecting the rich with tax breaks and tax cuts, I'm afraid the current lot seem determined to create a very large number of 'sofa hoggers' - just as they did back in the '80s.
If the Olympics were really just a competition between sportsmen and women, even though I'm no great sports fan, I'd be happy enough with it. Sadly it is yet another excuse for the wealthy to benefit at our expense. The only 'legacy' it will provide for us is more debt.
Rob, Telford
Well said Peter, although I'm afraid that a lot, if not most, of the money the Labour government spent on schools and hospitals actually ended up lining the pockets of the rich through ill thought out PFI schemes (originally a Tory idea which Blair embraced with fanatical zeal).
twisting my melon
Applying to host the London Olympics was also a Labour Government idea..
Rob, Telford
"Applying to host the London Olympics was also a Labour Government idea."
...which had the total support of the then Tory opposition...
twisting my melon
Not forgetting my total support
helen
twisting my melon,
"What would you rather be spent on . The Worlds largest festival of sport, or given to the Banks, because if you all think it was going to be spent on Hospitals and Schools then i’m afraid your all mistaken…"
It is right for people to discuss what the people we supposedly elect to represent us should prioritise spending our money on, especially when times are tough. You could use your argument for flushing the £millions straight down the loo- 'it won't be spent on what we actually want/need but it's better than Cameron giving it to the bankers...' And in fact, while the vast majority of the money made by the Olympics might not go to the banks (if you exclude sponsors Lloyds TSB), it will go straight into the pockets of the government's other great cronies, the owners of big businesss. I enjoy the spectacle of the Olympics and support its original ethos, but I'd happily go without it this summer if the money could be used to keep my kids' school and hospital ward open.
twisting my melon
So does this mean that Tony Blair led the appliction to win the Olympic bid so that David Cameron could make loads of money for himself and his mates....
twiggo
Since this Government has been in power, the bill for the Olympics has shot up by millions of pounds. And yes, of course the Tory Government has the responsibility now for what's going on....G4S is just one example of how big business is being allowed to write itself blank cheques and not even deliver the goods it promised.
This Government is now in charge - they can't keep blaming what went before for their own short comings and neither should you Monsieur Melons.
helen
twisting my melon/words,
No.
twisting my melon
Isn't that the same company that Bliar put in charge of the prisons, when he privatised them..
Gary
G4S has been found wanting. But so what?
Some Army have had their pre-deployment leave stopped losing paid holidays with their loved ones. Unfortunatly some of these soldiers will not be returning from their latter tour in Afghanistan whislt others will be issued with their P45's.
A truly crass statement.
stripeyandy
I suspect that for the troops who have been seconded, all 3,500 + of them, many who have just returned from Afghanistan or Iraq, and had holidays booked and now cancelled, some of whom have been told they will be losing their jobs, and livelihoods and will be sleeping in shipping containers and other totally unsuitable accomodation for the olympics and/or paralympics will not be overjoyed at this.
Neither will a) the hundreds of extra police officers who are now required and many of whom will be sharing equally luxurious accomodation as the troops, nor b) Those officers who will be in their normal roles, but required to work extra hours to cover absent colleagues be looking forward to it.
THAT is where the G4S thing matters, even more so given that G4S head has said despite making a colossal mess of things still intends to take the staggering amount of money they were contracted to receive...
GazChap.com
And let's not forget the horrible precedent that the new laws surrounding the Brand Exclusion Zone and use of the Olympic games' marks sets.
I mean, stopping people entering a venue if they're carrying a bottle of Pepsi?
It's brand fascism, and I'm shocked that more of a fuss isn't being made about it.
huw
I agree it will be great, it could be the catalyst we need to bring back a feel good factor after camerons talk of austerity has bought a feeling of gloom to the UK