The seven year wait is over and we can firmly believe that London 2012 will become reality, on time. Since July 2005, Lord Sebastian Coe et al have worked tirelessly hard to ensuring this Olympic Games would be a success - or at least match the magical Beijing Olympics in 2008. However, the media hype of this summer's Games has seen a mixture of anticipation and dread.
If you can recall four years ago, moments before Beijing 2008, the Games was considered both a security and environmental risk for athletes, spectators and residents, despite spending US$12.2 billion on ensuring a "Green Olympics" would occur. These concerns were on the news frequently and authorities coped well under pressure and in the end, these issues were a thing of the past. In the London Games, the security implications have been a hot topic. For example, G4S, which were appointed to lead the security, announced in the last month that they were lacking staff members. This was seemingly a last minute thing to say and there had been little wonder to why their CEO Nick Buckles has been forced to explain and defend the timing of this realisation.
G4S had alerted the Home Office about this and UK Home Secretary Theresa May said she had little alternative but to bring troops serving in Afghanistan to Stratford and help out. This came weeks after some thousands of armed forces were made redundant. Again, the timeliness has been an issue as well as lack of efficient communication between G4S and the Home Office.
However, more confusion and controversy prevailed as it was announced that Theresa May knew of G4S's situation long before the public knew just two weeks ago. The troops in Afghanistan were only aware of their duty in the eastern part of London just recently. Nonetheless, the public here in Britain have been left bewildered about the situation and some question the alleged lack of organisation by the Olympic Committee and the Home Office.
Not only the public have been unhappy but Labour also are distraught about the whole thing. In 2005, when they were in power, their then-leader Tony Blair and Olympic Chairman Lord Coe along with sports starts, Dame Kelly Holmes and David Beckham snatched the hosting rights from Paris's hands after a sensational PR and marketing strategy by getting everyone in the UK excited. Now their hard work, after handing their leading role over to the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition in 2010, is believed to have been in tatters and their easy target is Theresa May, who appears to be acting alone in government when defending her role as Home Secretary.
May has received a lot of criticism about her position with G4S and her reputation as Mrs. Unreliable hasn't helped her gain praise. She received a lot of stick with regards to Border Control when they threatened to strike for the day before the opening ceremony, meaning yesterday. In May's defence, the Home Office managed to hike the staff numbers and convinced them that their timing of walking out would have been a national scandal and an international embarrassment. Border Control's argument prior to their initial strike announcement did not help them with the fact that Samantha Cameron, the Prime Minister's wife said that she went through Border Control very quickly - contradicting their claims that people take too long queuing into the country.
Also, not related to the Olympics, May was forced to defend her role in attempting to deport terrorist threat Abu Qatada after confusion in applying for his extradition to Jordan. With him deemed as a national threat, May wanted him out before the Olympics but that was easier said than done. I believe there are no sources to suggest he has been deported but of course that case is ongoing but nonetheless, it has so far cost the Home Office millions of pounds.
It is therefore easy to say that Theresa May has had a tough ride of things and some believe she is struggling to rise above the challenge and show that she has is doing a better job than the previous Home Secretary, Labour's Alan Johnson and before him, Jacqui Smith. I can understand the centre-left's frustration that things are not going as they wanted the Olympics to be.
On the other hand, when looking at news stories concerning G4S and Border Control, it seems Theresa May is one of the only ministers being abused by both Labour and her own Party. This is what I see as unfair. She has one of the toughest roles in Parliament and I'm sure Labour's former Home Secretaries milked all the support they needed when making decisions.
In the situation of the Olympic Games, I see a lack of involvement from William Hague, the Foreign Minister. He has been worrying a little too much about what is happening in Syria, when the spectators and athletes from abroad are equally his responsibility than it is May's. If he and May worked together in supporting Border Control, I don't feel they would have threatened to walk out. William Hague gets too much respect from the Conservative Party as he has been their leader between 1997 and 2001 and since been popular among the leader after him. Certainly, Syria is a concern and with President Asaad's regime appears numbered, Hague needs to see the country's situation once that government is finished. However, UK needs Hague more than ever before. David Miliband, when he was Foreign Minister did a great job juggling foreign affairs in Britain and abroad, now there should be more pressure on Hague to do the same.
Regardless, I'm sure London 2012 will be a massive success and hopefully, with little issues on the security front. If Beijing defied all odds and hosted the greatest sporting event on earth, then why not London?
If you can recall four years ago, moments before Beijing 2008, the Games was considered both a security and environmental risk for athletes, spectators and residents, despite spending US$12.2 billion on ensuring a "Green Olympics" would occur. These concerns were on the news frequently and authorities coped well under pressure and in the end, these issues were a thing of the past. In the London Games, the security implications have been a hot topic. For example, G4S, which were appointed to lead the security, announced in the last month that they were lacking staff members. This was seemingly a last minute thing to say and there had been little wonder to why their CEO Nick Buckles has been forced to explain and defend the timing of this realisation.
G4S had alerted the Home Office about this and UK Home Secretary Theresa May said she had little alternative but to bring troops serving in Afghanistan to Stratford and help out. This came weeks after some thousands of armed forces were made redundant. Again, the timeliness has been an issue as well as lack of efficient communication between G4S and the Home Office.
However, more confusion and controversy prevailed as it was announced that Theresa May knew of G4S's situation long before the public knew just two weeks ago. The troops in Afghanistan were only aware of their duty in the eastern part of London just recently. Nonetheless, the public here in Britain have been left bewildered about the situation and some question the alleged lack of organisation by the Olympic Committee and the Home Office.
Not only the public have been unhappy but Labour also are distraught about the whole thing. In 2005, when they were in power, their then-leader Tony Blair and Olympic Chairman Lord Coe along with sports starts, Dame Kelly Holmes and David Beckham snatched the hosting rights from Paris's hands after a sensational PR and marketing strategy by getting everyone in the UK excited. Now their hard work, after handing their leading role over to the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition in 2010, is believed to have been in tatters and their easy target is Theresa May, who appears to be acting alone in government when defending her role as Home Secretary.
May has received a lot of criticism about her position with G4S and her reputation as Mrs. Unreliable hasn't helped her gain praise. She received a lot of stick with regards to Border Control when they threatened to strike for the day before the opening ceremony, meaning yesterday. In May's defence, the Home Office managed to hike the staff numbers and convinced them that their timing of walking out would have been a national scandal and an international embarrassment. Border Control's argument prior to their initial strike announcement did not help them with the fact that Samantha Cameron, the Prime Minister's wife said that she went through Border Control very quickly - contradicting their claims that people take too long queuing into the country.
Also, not related to the Olympics, May was forced to defend her role in attempting to deport terrorist threat Abu Qatada after confusion in applying for his extradition to Jordan. With him deemed as a national threat, May wanted him out before the Olympics but that was easier said than done. I believe there are no sources to suggest he has been deported but of course that case is ongoing but nonetheless, it has so far cost the Home Office millions of pounds.
It is therefore easy to say that Theresa May has had a tough ride of things and some believe she is struggling to rise above the challenge and show that she has is doing a better job than the previous Home Secretary, Labour's Alan Johnson and before him, Jacqui Smith. I can understand the centre-left's frustration that things are not going as they wanted the Olympics to be.
On the other hand, when looking at news stories concerning G4S and Border Control, it seems Theresa May is one of the only ministers being abused by both Labour and her own Party. This is what I see as unfair. She has one of the toughest roles in Parliament and I'm sure Labour's former Home Secretaries milked all the support they needed when making decisions.
In the situation of the Olympic Games, I see a lack of involvement from William Hague, the Foreign Minister. He has been worrying a little too much about what is happening in Syria, when the spectators and athletes from abroad are equally his responsibility than it is May's. If he and May worked together in supporting Border Control, I don't feel they would have threatened to walk out. William Hague gets too much respect from the Conservative Party as he has been their leader between 1997 and 2001 and since been popular among the leader after him. Certainly, Syria is a concern and with President Asaad's regime appears numbered, Hague needs to see the country's situation once that government is finished. However, UK needs Hague more than ever before. David Miliband, when he was Foreign Minister did a great job juggling foreign affairs in Britain and abroad, now there should be more pressure on Hague to do the same.
Regardless, I'm sure London 2012 will be a massive success and hopefully, with little issues on the security front. If Beijing defied all odds and hosted the greatest sporting event on earth, then why not London?
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