While I am in favour of London bidding for the Olympic Games in 2012, and recognise this will bring great benefits to London and the UK as a whole (as well as boost involvement in competitive sports and excellence), I am totally against paying yet another stealth tax for six years for the pleasure.
Advertising, regeneration, tourism and, indeed, the Government should pay for the Olympics, not London’s overburdened taxpayers.
The current proposal is for a dedicated tax to be added to the already-bloated cost of London’s mayoralty. We, the taxpayers, do not have any say in the matter. We all know, once introduced, taxes are rarely rescinded and the current Labour Government will be imposing yet another tax on future generations.
London and Londoners already contribute £20bn to Government coffers, more than we receive back in benefits or grants. Why then should we pay for the Games, which, though located in London, will benefit the nation as a whole?
Bexley gets very little from Ken Livingstone’s tax, so perhaps we should not expect any more from yet another Labour-imposed levy.
Cheryl Potter Maiden Erleigh Avenue Bexley
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