This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/london/6452865.stm

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 4 Version 5
Mayor says no tax rise for Games Mayor says no tax rise for Games
(10 minutes later)
Londoners will not pay any more after the government announced a rise in the Olympic budget, the mayor has said.Londoners 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.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. As part of the revised budget, London mayor Ken Livingstone will have to come up with an extra £300m.
The London Assembly Tories said the extra £675m taken from the lottery will affect projects across the city. But he has said he will not increase the current 38p a week contribution Londoners pay on the council tax for the Olympic Games.
Mr Livingstone said to get the Games "for the price of a walnut whip a week is a bargain". A spokesman for the mayor said the extra £300m will come from "within the Greater London Assembly group".
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 To get the Games for the price of a walnut whip a week is a bargain Ken Livingstone class="" href="ID=">Olympics budget rises to £9.3bn
"Londoners will not pay a penny more than the current 38p a week contribution on the council tax to the Olympic Games," he said. BBC London's political editor Tim Donovan said Mr Livingstone may raid Transport for London reserves and use a £200m loan he has taken out for transport improvements in east London to help find the £300m.
"Today's announcement delivers that promise. The statement makes clear there will be no future rise in council tax to finance the Olympic Games." In her commons statement, Ms Jowell said the mayor had agreed to re-write the memorandum of understanding to enable "profit sharing" - so the Lottery and future regeneration needs could benefit from any returns from the investment being made.
Mr Livingstone said: "Londoners will not pay a penny more than the current 38p a week contribution on the council tax to the Olympic Games.
"Today's announcement delivers that promise. To get the Games for the price of a walnut whip a week is a bargain".
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.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." "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."