I don't watch much TV, I just never caught that habit, but yesterday I was glued to the set for hours as GB took medal after medal. The evening's athletic performances were just magnificent. At the time of writing, Team GB is third in the medals table, with the certainty of more to come today. Despite initial misgivings, many of which I shared, family and friends back in London tell me everything is running as well as can be expected - and those of us who have depended on London Transport for most of our lives generally have low expectations - that there is a carnival atmosphere, and most importantly, our athletes are winning. Equally important, sport has become an obsession in schools, and that primary school youngsters in particular are becoming aware of sports they never heard of before. That can only be good.But UKIP did not want this to happen.
In 2005, UKIP members on the London Assembly backed the Paris bid. They did not want London to host this mega sporting event, and to become the centre of world attention. This little chapter appears to have been discretely forgotten. In fact, the party leader is quoted on the UKIP website as saying "It's been a tremendous Games so far, Britain have excelled and best of all, there's still a week left!...Congratulations to everyone involved.I'm looking forward to even more success."
An example of utter hypocrisy, and carrying all the sincereity of Tony Blair appearing on the steps of 10 Downing Street to offer his condolences to the American people on the death of Frank Sinatra.
So take a look at the UKIP website and read all the praise being heaped on our athletes, and the London Olympics, and then remember the truth. UKIP Assembly Members tried to stop it!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteindeed I gather we are thought to have done well considering there are I gather over 300 different events to win gold in the 8 Britain had at close of play on Saturday had only cost us a little over £1 Billion each.
The legacy sounds to me to be the expectation of a massive debt hangover!
However some perspective is warranted even to my indifferent view - @£9 Billion admitted so far for the Olympics they are good value relative to the money poured down the drain by our duplicitous politicians in their efforts to fund the EU where the cost of our membership in hard cash runs to funding more than 2 Olymp[ics a year and we don't even get good entertainment in return from The EU!
UKIP seem to have failed to spot this yet, but The Pink Book of Government expenditure including the money they waste makes it very clear!
Regards,
Greg_L-W.
Greg,
ReplyDeleteYou underestimated the success of Tean GB! It was a superb perforfmance, and as a londoner I would say that we got our money's worth. The Olympics were a great advert for London, and GB as a whole. I know I am biased, but I think that these were the greatest games certainly in my lifetime. Last night's closing ceremony was just superb.
And never doubt the power of synergism. Combined with the Jubilee, I think the games just catapulted us to centre of the world stage.