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Mayor says no tax rise for Games | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Londoner's will not pay any more after the government announced a rise in the Olympic budget, the mayor has said. | |
Culture secretary Tessa Jowell said the cost of hosting the 2012 London Olympics has nearly trebled to £9.35bn. | |
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said he will not increase the current 38p a week contribution on the council tax to the Olympic Games. | |
The London Assembly Tories said the extra £675m taken from the lottery will affect projects across the city. | |
Mr Livingstone said to get the Games "for the price of a walnut whip a week is a bargain". | |
It is clear that the assurances given by the mayor and Tessa Jowell that the original budget was totally robust have been blown completely out of the water Tory Bob Blackman | |
"Londoners will not pay a penny more than the current 38p a week contribution on the council tax to the Olympic Games," he said. | |
"Today's announcement delivers that promise. The statement makes clear there will be no future rise in council tax to finance the Olympic Games." | |
But Bob Blackman, London Assembly Conservative spokesman for the Olympics said: "It is clear that the assurances given by the mayor and Tessa Jowell that the original budget was totally robust have been blown completely out of the water by today's announcement. | |
"The months of speculation are finally over but there is not a shred of good news for National Lottery who will have their good work in London decimated for the next five years whilst contributing an additional £675m." | |
Darren Johnson, from the Green Party on the London Assembly, said: "This cost rise means that the Olympics will be costing over half a billion pounds a day for the 17 days of the Games. | |
"We need to ensure that the Olympics budget is spent on the long-term regeneration of east London, not on flamboyant stunts and white elephants." | |