In a remarkable display of financial ignorance, the Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson has said that he is increasingly confident that the 2012 Olympic Games will come in under budget.
For why?
Current figures show that the £527M contingency budget has yet to be touched.
All very well, maybe. However, Robertson ignores the elephant in the room.
When the UK organically tendered for the games the "budget" was £2.4BN. This "moveable feast" has subsequently grown to £12BN (including £2BN running costs, which the media and politicians conveniently forget to mention).
On budget?
Don't make me laugh!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Tube Workers Vote For Driverless Trains
In January I wrote the following:
"It seems that our downtrodden and hard working Tube drivers feel a tad hard done by wrt the offer made by London Underground of a £500 bonus for shift working during the Olympics.
The RMT has rejected the £500 bonus, saying that the money was not an adequate reward for being on duty during the event.
RMT general secretary comrade Bob Crow is quoted by the BBC:
" It is well-documented that transport will be the biggest logistical challenge throughout the Olympics period.
Given that the Tube drivers do not feel up to the job of doing what they are paid to do, the solution to this problem is simple; install driverless trains and remove the drivers altogether.
Problem solved!"
It appears that the RMT are in favour of driverless trains and, having rejected the £500 bribe offered to drivers to do their normal job during the London Olympics, will be balloting their members about strike action.
Boris Johnson is already promising driverless trains, as a means of finally putting paid to comrade Bob Crowe, the bete noir of the travelling public.
Comrade Crow is quoted in the Telegraph:
“RMT reiterates our stance that all grades of transport employees are entitled to a decent financial reward for their efforts transporting huge numbers of passengers during the Olympics and are entitled to take leave during the summer.
Working conditions and important agreements should not and need not be attacked in order to facilitate Olympic running.”
Driverless trains here we come!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Monday, 27 February 2012
Locog Not Backing Britain!
Following the furore over recently published evidence that some Olympics merchandise manufactured in China was produced using child labour, Sebastian Coe (Chairman of Locog) is quoted by Procurement Leaders:
“We place a high priority on environmental, social and ethical issues when securing goods and services. As soon as we were made aware of the Playfair 2012 report, we instructed our independent monitor to carry out a comprehensive investigation and review. The outcome of this will be made public as soon as it is concluded.
We have taken a lead in ethical sourcing and supply chain management but there is always more to do and we are committed to making a real difference to workers’ lives and creating a valuable legacy that we can share.”
That's fine, but could not all of this been avoided had Locog not instead sourced their supplies of Olympics tat from UK based companies instead of from China?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
“We place a high priority on environmental, social and ethical issues when securing goods and services. As soon as we were made aware of the Playfair 2012 report, we instructed our independent monitor to carry out a comprehensive investigation and review. The outcome of this will be made public as soon as it is concluded.
We have taken a lead in ethical sourcing and supply chain management but there is always more to do and we are committed to making a real difference to workers’ lives and creating a valuable legacy that we can share.”
That's fine, but could not all of this been avoided had Locog not instead sourced their supplies of Olympics tat from UK based companies instead of from China?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Friday, 24 February 2012
Locog and The Cruel Engine of Disappointment
Locog continues to be given a well deserved public pillorying by those who are less than impressed with its lack of transparency over Olympic ticket sales.
The latest kicking comes from Boris Johnson. He has demanded greater transparency in the Olympic Games ticketing process, and has dubbed the ticket system run by Locog “the cruel engine of disappointment.”
Locog continue to refuse to publish details until the tickets have been sold, by which time of course the horse will have well and truly bolted!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
The latest kicking comes from Boris Johnson. He has demanded greater transparency in the Olympic Games ticketing process, and has dubbed the ticket system run by Locog “the cruel engine of disappointment.”
Locog continue to refuse to publish details until the tickets have been sold, by which time of course the horse will have well and truly bolted!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
The Olympics White Elephant
The white elephant of the London Olympics, ie the stadium, will cost the hard pressed British taxpayer a further £2M on top of the current Olympics "budget" of £12BN.
For why?
It seems that the stadium is not up to Premier League standards, and that the pitch will need to be ripped up (it doesn't have under-soil heating) after the games and replaced at a cost of £2M.
Locog et al keep banging on about the "legacy" of the games.
For sure there will be a legacy, specifically:
- one very large white elephant (the stadium), and
- a large bill (currently estimated at around £12BN plus)
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
For why?
It seems that the stadium is not up to Premier League standards, and that the pitch will need to be ripped up (it doesn't have under-soil heating) after the games and replaced at a cost of £2M.
Locog et al keep banging on about the "legacy" of the games.
For sure there will be a legacy, specifically:
- one very large white elephant (the stadium), and
- a large bill (currently estimated at around £12BN plus)
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Monday, 20 February 2012
Council Houses Rented Out For £5,000 a Week
Following the lead of others involved in the Olympics, some council house tenants (according to the Telegraph) are looking to make some money out of the Olympic games and are offering their homes for rent at up to £5,000 per week during the London Olympics.
Given that this is a breach of the terms of the lease, those renting their properties out might care to reflect as to whether the short term financial gain is worth losing their home over.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Given that this is a breach of the terms of the lease, those renting their properties out might care to reflect as to whether the short term financial gain is worth losing their home over.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Friday, 17 February 2012
Locog Loses Its Grip
The Telegraph reports that, despite the past hype pressurising people to rush to buy them, there are in fact around 4 million unsold tickets for the London Olympics.
Locog don't appear to be on top of things, as they have admitted that they are still working out last minute seating plans at venues.
Quote:
"We simply do not have a full picture to present at the moment."
Locog will release the 4 million unsold tickets in April, of which 1 million cover most sports and the opening and closing ceremonies.
Unsurprisingly, some people who were pushed into buying tickets for lesser events (because the hype implied that the main events had all been sold out) are more than a little aggrieved at having been taken for a ride.
To add insult to injury, in the money making spirit of the Games, Locog are now attempting to charge people for lining the streets to watch the cycling event at Box Hill!
Previous assurances (which Locog deny ever making), that the event was free, have been swept aside in the spirit of mammon.
London Assembly’s economic development committee chair Baroness Doocey is quite rightly less than impressed with Locog, re charging for watching the cycling she said it would be "dreadful and most regrettable".
The Olympics are about money, not sport!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Locog don't appear to be on top of things, as they have admitted that they are still working out last minute seating plans at venues.
Quote:
"We simply do not have a full picture to present at the moment."
Locog will release the 4 million unsold tickets in April, of which 1 million cover most sports and the opening and closing ceremonies.
Unsurprisingly, some people who were pushed into buying tickets for lesser events (because the hype implied that the main events had all been sold out) are more than a little aggrieved at having been taken for a ride.
To add insult to injury, in the money making spirit of the Games, Locog are now attempting to charge people for lining the streets to watch the cycling event at Box Hill!
Previous assurances (which Locog deny ever making), that the event was free, have been swept aside in the spirit of mammon.
London Assembly’s economic development committee chair Baroness Doocey is quite rightly less than impressed with Locog, re charging for watching the cycling she said it would be "dreadful and most regrettable".
The Olympics are about money, not sport!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
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