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	London wins the 2012 Olympic Games

Press Release
07 July 2005

London, all but written off with Paris the favourite in the leadup to the winning city announcement on July 6 2005, came from behind to win the right to stage the Games - beating out Paris, New York, Madrid and Moscow in the closest voting race in many years.

Massive transport and infrastucture improvements that are essential to host this immense and prestigous event, along with a commitment to redevelop the deprived East side of London and the Stratford area probably helped clinch the Games for London. "This will pay dividends for all of us," said Prime Minister Tony Blair. "To have the Olympic Games in 2012 is going to be a huge thing for the country — and for London it will be tremendous because it will regenerate the whole of that part of the East End of London."

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone said: ``This is the poorest part of Britain: it has the most polluted soil and the greatest number of problems. We will use the Games to transform the chances of children of the East End and break that cycle of poverty.''

The mayor and the government have agreed a public funding package of up to 2.375 billion pounds ($4.16 billion) to cover everything from new facilities to Olympic transport. Part of that would come from up to 1.5 billion pounds worth of lottery receipts. Increases in council taxes that would cost the average household about 20 pounds a year would also help fund the games.

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