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Boris deputy attacks 'smoke and mirrors' of funding for Olympics
Matthew Beard, Sports News Correspondent19.11.08
THE political consensus surrounding the London Olympics appeared to crack today amid a row over costs.
Deputy Mayor Kit Malthouse accused the Games' organisers of "smoke and mirrors".
His intervention came during an ill-tempered questioning at the London Assembly of Games chief, Sebastian Coe.
Later today the Olympic Board was due to announce that there will be no changes to temporary venues, frustrating Mayor Boris Johnson's aim to cut costs.
Recommendations in a government-commissioned report by KPMG will confirm that basketball will go-ahead in the Olympic Park and equestrian events will stay at Greenwich. Shooting events in Woolwich remain under review, but Bisley in Surrey is expected to be ruled out as an alternative.
Mr Malthouse said there was "confusion" of responsibility and accused organisers of "arrogance" in key decision-making.
He added: "I want to know where the funding decision is made because there is a huge game of smoke and mirrors around venues going on and a lot of confusion and uncertainty. As many of us councillors see it, there is a very fractious atmosphere. Is it the Treasury that is making a decision about venues because mucking about with venues has a budgetary consequence, plus or minus?"
Mr Malthouse said he was "confused" about the Olympic Board, which consists of the Mayor, Lord Coe, Colin Moynihan, chair of the British Olympic Association, and Olympics minister, Tessa Jowell.
He said: "Is it possible for those people executing the Games to out-vote people paying for the Games?"
Lord Coe, chairman of organising committee, Locog, rejected claims of a split on the board.
Reader views (4)
I wrote to my M.P.suggesting that in view of the world credit crunch we consider cancelling the Olympics. He replied 'To cancel the Olympics would in my view make the UK look ridiculous in the eyes of the world's nations'.
- Anna, Doncaster, England
The price of the olympics tripled after London won the bid... anyone with half a brain would see there's something wrong there!
- Ian Sankey, Plymouth
the olympics are a collection of mainly minor sports
normally very few watch,it's all the national hype that
makes them a big deal.
- Michael Bell, basingstoke england
The Olympics, is it too late to sell this fiasco-in-waiting to the French?
- Stevew, WMids
