Olympics 2012 Q&A: Ken Livingstone

London mayor Ken Livingstone answers questions on the city's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

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Story: Mayor stands firm

Q. Does London still have a genuine chance of winning hosting rights for 2012, or is Paris too far ahead?

A. The candidate cities for 2012 comprise one of the most impressive shortlists in Olympic history and any of the five cities would host a great Games, but London is in with a real chance.

There are five months to go and London's bid has gained fantastic momentum particularly since the UK's exceptional performances at the Athens Games.

Our bid has cross-party political support and real and growing backing from the British public.

With our extensive infrastructure, global reputation, and combination of the richest history with incredible dynamism, London would make an exceptional host city and we're going for gold.

Q. What is your involvement during the IOC evaluation commission's visit?

A. I'm working non-stop to ensure the IOC recognises just what a landmark Games London would put on.

Q. What is the key message London is trying to get across?

A. That London would deliver the best Olympic and Paralympic Games the world has ever seen. Best for athletes, best for the Olympic Movement, best for London.

Q. What are the trump cards London can show the IOC during its four-day stay?

In-depth: Proposed venues

This really would be a Games for the whole of London and nation and would leave a lasting legacy both in the capital and across the UK.

A London Games would massively speed up the regeneration of east London, boosting the local economy and wider capital and bringing many thousands of new jobs to an area that holds the key to managing London's future growth.

The IOC has seen that our plans include some of the world's most famous venues from Horseguards Parade to Lord's Cricket Ground and from the Centre Court at Wimbledon to the new Wembley Stadium.

These will provide unique and fantastic televisual backdrops for Olympic events.

Many of the stadia, such as those built for hockey and basketball, have been designed in such a way so that after the Games they can be dismantled and re-erected in other parts of the UK where they are needed, proving that this is a legacy-led bid that reaches out to the whole of Britain.

Q. Does London's bid have the necessary public support, both in the city and in the rest of the UK, to convince the IOC it should host the Games?

A. The latest ICM polling shows public support up to 74 per cent. A large majority of British people want London to get the Games and believe in our bid.

When they ask about public support, what the IOC wants to know is, will the venues be filled, will the home crowds be enthusiastic, will the athletes and visitors receive a warm welcome?

They will remember that around 20,000 fans from the UK made the trip to Athens, only beaten in numbers by the Greek home crowd and they will see that nowhere is there more diversity, nor a greater passion for sport, than in London.

Q. Is there anything Londoners can still do to impress the inspectors during their visit?

A. London is the most diverse and exciting city on earth and it's Londoners that make it that way.

It's the sheer energy, activity and tolerance of our city and people that will impress the IOC. Londoners just need to be themselves.

Q. Do you think the publicity surrounding the Royal Family (the Queen's reported comments suggesting Paris would win and Prince Harry's Nazi uniform) has damaged the London bid?

A. Absolutely not. The Queen and members of the Royal Family have always offered their fullest support to the bid.

The Queen is hosting a dinner for the IOC evaluation team at Buckingham Palace and this sends out the strongest message of support.

Q. Has coverage of your comments to a Jewish journalist damaged London's bid?

A. Not at all. The IOC are here to examine in detail the 17 themes of our bid.

Their delegation includes experts on subjects including transport, environmental sustainability, information technology.

What they want to do is to check that we will deliver on the detailed plans in our Candidature File.

What they will also see is that London has a mayor who does not panic and change course but will remain focused and deliver an exceptional Games on time and to budget.

Q. Would it help the situation if you apologised?

A. I have made my position quite clear. The IOC are here to discover the detail of the Games that London would deliver in 2012.

Q. How would you persuade Londoners that paying extra council tax to stage the Games would be worth the money?

Photos: Inspectors' visit

A. The absolute maximum the average London household would contribute for a London Games is 38p a week for 12 years and the robust financial package we have put together means we would keep this to ten years.

We are the only bidding city that has been up front from the start about how we would pay for the Games.

Our plans mean for every pound Londoners put in through the council tax, they will gain back £5 in investment in their city.

The capital is already benefiting, just from bidding. Our bid is what persuaded the Government to give the go-ahead for the extension of the east London line which links south and east London. We have planning permission in place for the Olympic Park and work is already under way on the Aquatics Centre.

Combine this with the unmatchable excitement of hosting the greatest show on earth on home turf, hugely speeded-up regeneration of east London, and the benefits to tourism, business, sport and national pride the Games would bring, and I think Londoners will agree they are getting a good deal.

Q. What will you do to make sure London still gets much-needed investment in sports facilities if it does not get the Games?

A. As Mayor of London, I continually lobby the Government to ensure the capital's needs are properly met. Sporting facilities will continue to be a big part of this.

The new Wembley Stadium is being delivered on time and to budget and will be the most incredible new world-class sporting venue.

We have agreed the funding for a new velodrome to house cycling for a London Games which will be delivered even if we do not get the Games, and have completed designs for a competition-standard swimming pool that will also be built whether or not we win.

My work to ensure Crystal Palace is maintained as an athletics venue capable of hosting international events shows how committed I am to London's sporting future.

Q. If you could have won an Olympic medal, which sport would it have been in?

A. Swimming.