Londoners should not pay extra for any Olympic over-runs

12.30.21pm GMT Thu 17th Nov 2005

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone was this morning forced to give a guarantee that Londoners would not have to pick up any overspends by the London Development Agency in preparing for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

In answer to questions from Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member Dee Doocey at Mayor's Question Time, the Mayor confirmed that the costs by the London Development Agency in acquiring the necessary land for the 2012 London Olympic Games has risen from an estimated £478million to over £1billion.

The Mayor however also refused to give any further guarantees that London's Council tax payers would not have to pay more than the £20 a year levy already planned to be set from next year.

"With the confirmation that land acquisition costs for the Olympics have already doubled" said Dee Doocey, "it is even more important that the Mayor gives a written guarantee to Londoners that they will not have to pay anything extra above and beyond what the Mayor has committed us to."

"I think the Olympic Games coming to London are a fantastic opportunity, but the London Council Taxpayer needs a cast iron guarantee from the Mayor that as the money starts to be spent on delivering the Games, it won't be us alone who have to pick any extra bills. The Government is coining it in from taxing all Olympic activity and should be contributing."