Being of an intelligence that defies your handsome physique (you can't be both, its just not possible), you will of course understand that major projects like the Olympic Park are required by EU law to go out to tender to all EU countries ?

Now I don't suppose that HM Gov will ever release details of just how many non-uk companies are dipping their beaks in that £10billion pot but I know of one major sub-contractor from Ireland (the republic, not northern), who has done very nicely thanks you with two several-million deals on both the Olympic village and prior to that Wembley Stadium using their own Irish workforce, nett benefit to the UK economy would be a few boarding house proprietors and pubs/eateries, but any tax from profits and income will be going straight to the Irish Exchequer, and Ryanair.

Do ryanair not pay any duties or taxes in the UK? I would imagine they do, having so many hubs here.

Were materials all shipped in from Ireland? Were Irish delivery companies used?

Did you read the PWC report in my previous post?

Having read how a war-ravaged and still-on-rationing UK managed to put on an Olympics in 1948 (see [iThe Austerity Olympics[/i, Janie Hampton, Aurum Press), I'm certain it could have been done for a lot less.
Back then, they couldn't sell all the three shillings and sixpence tickets (*) to stand at the opening ceremony, so they gave the remainder away to schoolkids.

(*) 17.5 pence or, allowing for inflation, £5.23 now

Meh, i imagine most of the complainers about hosting the event would of complained just as much if we'd of lost out in the bidding asking why we aren't good enough to win hosting honours to such big events. Considering the bid was won in 2005 and therefore planned well in advance of that too you can't really use the current economic climate as too much of a weapon in your argument, what were they meant to do come 2009? Go to the Olympic Commitee and say ''sorry can we do this on a shoestring budget now?''. The only part that really bugged me was how it took 1 full year and £400,000 to come up with that rubbish logo, even if it had been a great logo how can it take so long and cost so much.

How many more real jobs could have been created by using this huge cost on a more long term infrastructrure project!

And I suppose the foolish feckers will believe that it will be a good thing that many more jobs will be created when they come to knock down the Olympic Stadium because it has no further real use ....some 'legacy'

The one that was published in 2004 ?

Yes, particularly page 24 in which PWC point out that its very difficult to predict beforehand whether or not any given Games would have produced a surplus or a deficit and those that show a surplus have "great uncertainties around many of the assumptions underlying the analysis" - and they even point out that the Olympics can produce an economic downturn after the event has finished.

Overall its a pretty inconclusive document casting all sorts of doubt on the voracity of the numbers produced for previous Games - indeed pointing to that years Athens Games for which the Greek Government were predicting a public contribution of €4.6 billion but PWC mention "could rise to €10 billion", how spooky is that, they also predict that the Greek economy could take a dive in 2005 because of their Olympic spending, hmmmm.

Lets not forget that, like Greece, the original London bid in 2004 had construction costs of £2.375 billion (they didn't mention that some of that would be going to Ireland), £1 billion in "regeneration" costs, and £700 million coming from the private sector, overall cost of £4 billion - by 2007 this had risen to £9.7billion, pretty much in line with the Athens model and pretty much in line with what PWC were predicting and in their prediction they emphasise how difficult it is to quantify any ongoing benefits.


If we are hoping at the least to leave a legacy of sporting endeavour among our children then bunging £10,000,000,000 at Seth's works would take us a long way down that path I'd guess, far more than 17 days of (often) minor sporting performances will do.

I guess it's wasted on us miserable lot. We've moaned more about the cost of this as a nation than we have about the cost of the Iraq war.

Olympics in London? It's like putting Disneyland in f****g Paris.

left after the match , home for sunday dinner & went to see the torch @ east end park. No waiting, no view blocked.

How do you create a real job with money and why aren't the jobs generated by the olympics real?

If my taxes are going to go to this creation of jobs I'd rather it be for something like the olympics than, for example, the arts or, as mentioned, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

How much is Adam getting paid for his Olympic job ?

Quote ="FoxyRhino"Rhinos blame YCC for the farce yesterday. Today YCC blame the Torch Relay officials www.therhinos.co.uk/news/19642.php It seems there's a buck passing relay going on as well'" Frankly, What a load of bollards .... - So the Olympic Officials told YCCC to not bother with the PA ? - So LOGOC turned down the opportunity to promote the games at perhaps the second biggest venue on the route that day (it was at Old Trafford, complete with Bobby Charlton on that Sunday morning) ... Yeah, right ! - Of course the officials ordered Yorkshire not to bother with the screen too If an 'Official' (Who ? How about name & shame ?) changed the order, I presume at the last moment, then why not announce to the crowd via the PA about the change ... Oh no, hang on. Interestingly, the YCCC website (which seems to have far more information than we were ever privy to) suggests the torch is only staying for a couple of moments. Likewise, the official torch route website shows more or less a straight line, so should we smell a whiff of cover up ? All the stewards were apparently briefed for a lap and given the 'short notice' change, how come there was a row of kids in place for at least 10 mins before it arrived ? It times like yesterday that you wished the 'lodgers' had gone off to Durkar when they had the chance ....

Quote ="FoxyRhino"Rhinos blame YCC for the farce yesterday. Today YCC blame the Torch Relay officials www.therhinos.co.uk/news/19642.php It seems there's a buck passing relay going on as well'" Frankly, What a load of bollards .... - So the Olympic Officials told YCCC to not bother with the PA ? - So LOGOC turned down the opportunity to promote the games at perhaps the second biggest venue on the route that day (it was at Old Trafford, complete with Bobby Charlton on that Sunday morning) ... Yeah, right ! - Of course the officials ordered Yorkshire not to bother with the screen too If an 'Official' (Who ? How about name & shame ?) changed the order, I presume at the last moment, then why not announce to the crowd via the PA about the change ... Oh no, hang on. Interestingly, the YCCC website (which seems to have far more information than we were ever privy to) suggests the torch is only staying for a couple of moments. Likewise, the official torch route website shows more or less a straight line, so should we smell a whiff of cover up ? All the stewards were apparently briefed for a lap and given the 'short notice' change, how come there was a row of kids in place for at least 10 mins before it arrived ? It times like yesterday that you wished the 'lodgers' had gone off to Durkar when they had the chance ....

I sent an e-mail on the LOCOG website asking them why the change was made? If I don't receive the standard non-answer that I expect to get, I will post it here

He's volunteering but his emplyers are one of the sponsors and he's getting paid leave.

Yep, and thousands like him are volunteering their time and effort for no remuneration, and good for him and them, seriously, they should be proud of themselves.

Good these Olympic jobs aren't they ?

If you're on Job Seekers Allowance will they stop you for 17 days because you're not available for work, doing your Olympic job and all ?

He is being remunerated. His emplyers are subsidising it.

I've no idea about Job Seekers Allowance, thankfully I've never had to claim benefits having always worked. I'm sure my taxes contribute a fair bit to said benefits so it's nice to see them being spent on a bit of sport for a change.

My employer has been kind enough to cover the cost of two return train tickets to London - 1 for training and 1 for the Games themselves (standard class of course). They have also provided 5 days additional paid leave. LOCOG have provided uniforms for all Games Makers, travelcards for when we are on shift and also meals during shifts.

Personally, I will be responsible for all accommodation in London and any other costs (food, travel on non-shift days). I will receive no remuneration for my time, nor would I expect to, as I knew it was a volunteering role when I applied. I will be working 11 days out of 15 at the Aquatics Centre and did it because I wanted to be part of the Games, simple as that.

There are 70,000 Games Makers volunteering during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, all doing it for nothing because they want to. During my training, I met volunteers from all over the UK in addition to some from France and Germany. There are also a significant number of people working for LOCOG and the other partners who are getting full remuneration.

As an aside, I hung around at Headingley for the Torch Tour with my eldest son who wanted to see it. Yes, it was a waste of time and a crappy apology from Yorkshire CC won't make up for such a disappointment. We did, however, head out to Morley today to see it and it was a great experience.

My Dad applied and hasn't heard either away about being a volunteer. Not even a courtesy e-mail saying he hasn't been accepted.

Wasn't that particular employer bailed out by the taxpayer to the tune of £21,000,000,000 and now it's sponsoring the Olympics courtesy of it's taxpayers bailout obviously?

You couldn't make this up.

Well Bradford Bulls could do with £10 Billion and they would still make a loss.

Well done you, I noticed that you'd volunteered from your Facebook posts.

Gareth - these 70,000 jobs, are these the "real jobs" that you were talking about ?

Cheers McF. I'll let Gareth continue his debate with you on the 'real' jobs !

I am surprised that a man with your wealth of knowledge would be so misinformed with respect to this. The Olympic partner you would be referring to is Lloyds TSB and the employer bailed out was Lloyds Banking Group, the latter included the 'toxic' HBoS brand. Lloyds TSB was a partner to the Games well before the banking crisis. Just thought I'd clarify that for you Jeff

I suspect some of those "real jobs" may involve the forced transportation of many on JSA (under threat of losing their benefits if they don't) from all parts of the country to work as stewards at the Olympics for absolutely nothing.

Well, not quite for absolutely nothing... they'll get some work experience, a free plastic poncho just in case it rains, a pair of boots and they get to sleep outdoors under London Bridge for 17 nights. And if they are really fortunate, they'll gain an apprenticeship afterwards and be paid £2.80 an hour.

Well, I'm pleased that the Lloyds Banking Group bailed out by the taxpayer to the tune of £21,000,000,000 sees fit to continue sponsoring the £10,000,000,000 (conservative estimate of real cost BTW) Olympics at the taxpayers expense.

Shame about the torch relay problems though. I'm sure Goebbels, Diem and Riefenstahl would be very disappointed that their very own Olympia torch relay legacy has been so shambolically organised this time around

The former (still current for ourselves) School Sport Partnerships and School Games areas, do not at all begrudge the Olympics and it's budget rather we have been using the Games as the back drop to most of our projects in the years leading up to the event. We went through the uncertainty of funding, devastation of cuts then rebuilding for 18 months and on the back of lobbying to save from 100% funding cessation, we are now honestly stronger than before, certainly from a point of view of what we can and are delivering. Funding gets drip fed nationally as areas with specific skills are asked to take the lead on county and national projects. As much as our initial upset with the decision all those months ago is remembered, we can now be more productive as we are allowed to be more independent not chasing national targets that were often irrelevant.

The fight from the SSPs and everyone associated has helped develop the School Games, a schools Olympic programme spanning education projects and competition at all levels accross all sports from football to fencing and wheelchair basketball. It does frustrate me when people say it will have no affect on people outside London, go have a look in your schools, I see it everyday!