This week, those who applied for tickets for next year’s Olympic Games in London, found out if their application was successful. Many people have spent hundreds of pounds to attend major events, but some councils have also been spending large sums to ensure they have tickets too.
Looking at recent press reports, Merton Council has spent £4000 of our money on two tickets for the opening and two tickets for the closing ceremonies, so the Mayor and his consort can attend.
A report this week highlighted how the government has ordered 9000 tickets for itself. Civil servants will have the chance to buy 3000 of those from a reserved pool, while the remaining 6000 will be reserved for ministers to entertain guests.
We understand this is just the tip of the iceberg, and would like to know how many councils and other public bodies are snapping up tickets to hand out to their staff. This is where we need your help. Below you will see a template for a Freedom of Information (FoI) request you can send to find out if your local council or Quangos are spending our money on freebies for staff.
To get you started, here are some suggestions. We know 10 out of the 33 London boroughs have not bought tickets. They are: Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bromley, Camden, Kingston, Croydon, Harrow, Havering, Redbridge and Westminster. The rest, however, are keeping quiet, but many councils across the country could be buying tickets, not just those in or close to London.
You can also contact quangos, such as the Arts Council, UK Sport, and Visit Britain, as well as various regional tourist bodies, such as Visit Yorkshire, and of course Regional Development Agencies like Advantage West Midlands. Click here for a full list of Quangos.
When you get the results back, send them to us, and we will collate the information. Taxpayers have already subsidised these games. It is not right they should be paying again.