MORE OLYMPIC WHINGING

Seventy-five pence in every one pound spent on the Olympic site will aid regeneration in east London. The Olympics will be of tremendous benefit to certain run down areas of London badly in need of extra resources.

Instead of supporting the Olympic preparations and understanding the opportunity the Games will provide for London and the country as a whole, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has now jumped on the anti-Olympic bandwagon. Edward Leigh, Tory Chairman of the PAC has accused ministers and officials of underestimating the true cost in order to win government and public support for the bid.

Tessa Jowell, the Olympics Minister, has denied that there was any intention to mislead on the costings for the Games. Quite right too. We need to stop whinging and get on with the Olympic project which will be good for London and good for Britain.

ANOTHER OLYMPIC WHINGE

Will the interminable Olympic bashing ever end? In case the whingers hadn't realised, the UK and London worked hard to host the games. We believed the Olympics would promote London as a world class city and leave a lasting legacy of regeneration and superb sports facilities.

A report from the New Economics Foundation is now saying the Games will not improve the lives of the poorest people in London. They cite previous Olympics in other countries as evidence for this assertion. It may simply be that those who held the Games in the past did not intend to provide any kind of economic boost for the less well or improve decaying infrastructure.

In case the whingers hadn't noticed, the 2012 Olympics intend to do both these things. The Olympics will be a huge benefit to London and Londoners. Please let's talk up our amazing opportunity.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RENEWS CALLS FOR BEIJING BOYCOTT

Last week the European Parliament debated the situation in Tibet. There were calls for a boycott of the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Beijing this summer. Many, including the President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Poettering, expressed solidarity with the Dali Lama.

I do not believe we can continue to let China get away with human rights abuses. China should respect the cultural and religious identity of the Tibetan people. The Olympics must be fairly reported.A boycott of the opening of the Beijing Olympics would show we are serious. There are times when a strong stand is needed.