The Olympics

Written by Vincent Cable MP and published in Richmond Informer on Fri 23rd May 2003

I am receiving angry letters protesting that householders, will have to pay an extra £500 in their council tax bills (£25 per annum over 20 years) to support the London Olympic bid.

They are right. The idea is outrageous.

I am seriously "off message" on this issue. All three parties, including mine, have supported the Olympic bid and the extra tax. I may sound like Victor Meldrew on a bad day, but someone in politics has to face reality.

For starters, council tax is already very high, regressive and deeply unpopular with people on low incomes or modest pensions. The tax bill will start at £500 and grow if the costs escalate. They will.

There is no discernable benefit locally. No events are planned in this part of London. And it takes longer to travel to Hackney Marshes from Hampton or Whitton than to get to Bristol or Brighton. Most people won't be able to afford the tickets anyway.

And why is vast public subsidy necessary? Soccer doesn't depend on taxpayers' money. Rugby neither - the RFU isn't subsidised and puts money into the community. Or tennis, or bowls, or snooker or darts.

I want to encourage sport, especially in schools, but there are surely cheaper, fairer ways than spending billions on a three week prestige event. The government should stop squeezing sport from the school curriculum. Councils should be stopped from selling playing fields.

Support for local community facilities - like the popular Hampton Pool - would be a far better use of lottery, and council tax, money.

Instead millions will be spent bidding for the games, wining and dining dubious sports officials from around the world. The process is hopelessly corrupt.

London badly needs better transport and more police. It doesn't need the Olympics.