Council leaders decide it is ‘wrong’ for taxpayers to foot the bill after cutting �25 million from council budget.
Council leaders have turned down the opportunity to buy 100 VIP Olympic tickets with taxpayers’ money.
Deputy leader of Redbridge Council Ian Bond (Liberal Democrat, Roding), said the decision was made after the budget was announced. “We decided in about ten minutes it would have been wrong to impose these charges on taxpayers.” The tickets would have been available for councillors and council staff to attend the 2012 games, but Redbridge Council would have paid for them. “Cllr Keith Prince received a letter from the Olympic Authority 10 days ago, and we sat together with Labour group leader Cllr Bob Littlewood, and jointly decided it would not be appropriate to accept them in the wake of cuts to services.”
“The cost would have been reflected in council tax.”
Under rules for the sale of the tickets, councils can use their own funds to buy tickets or pass them to members at their price, but they cannot be used in competitions or raffles.
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