Island can be part of London 2012
Friday 5th March 2010, 2:29PM GMT.
PLENTY of opportunities exist for Guernsey to be a part of the London Olympics, according to the shadow sports and Olympics minister.
Conservative MP Hugh Robertson, pictured, who was in the island yesterday to speak at a private dinner to States members and invited guests organised by Schroders Private Banking, said involvement could range from being a training base for athletes to competing through upcoming stars such as table tennis player Alice Loveridge and tennis player Heather Watson.
‘Both of those two sports are Olympic sports, so I truly hope we can see both of them competing in 2012. That would truly pull the island into the process.’
Other avenues for islanders to get involved would include acting as volunteers to help with the running of the event and parks. All they had to do was apply online.
‘There is a concerted effort to make sure that volunteers and young people who get involved with the Olympics don’t just come from London.’
Mr Robertson also hoped the event would prove to be an inspiration for youngsters in Guernsey, who know the games are happening so close by and with another Olympics in the UK not likely for another 40 or 50 years.
‘Any youngster who is growing up and watching it will hopefully see how fantastic it is and feel inspired.
‘That is what it’s all about.’
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Could anyone list the States members that attended this private dinner organised by a private banking organisation.
If Schroders as a private bank wishes to have a private dinner why invite public representatives?
Furthermore why would public representatives wish to attend a private dinner other than private as in their own family etc.?
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Steven – what is wrong with States members being invited to a dinner function? It’s called networking. Even the “hated bankers” are members of the electorate you know and such events are opportunities to meet people and discuss local affairs.
I wonder, would you have asked the same question if they had been invited by Specsavers or members of the horticultural industry? Perhaps you’re jealous that they got invited and you didn’t?! ;-)
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Steven,
I don’t recall being invited and I certainly wasn’t there. Actually I don’t think I have been to any such bash since being elected nearly two years ago.
But essentially Paul is right. I don’t think those politicians who tend to frequent such events are up to anything more sinister than ‘networking’, if that’s the correct term.
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I would agree with you Matt. I don’t think those politicians who tend to frequent such events are up to anything more sinister than ‘networking’.
It is what business organisations are up to that worries me. Remember that old saying? “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”.
One of the greatest threats that democracy faces in the present day is the lobbying by business organisations.
Unchecked corporations worldwide are currently engaged in securing the best democracy that money can buy. The most worrying aspect of that is that if successful democracy will rapidly transform into facism.
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I agree with you Matt I don’t think those politicians who tend to frequent such events are up to anything more sinister than networking, naive maybe.
It’s what business is up to that worries me. Remember the saying “there’s no such thing as a free lunch”?
The greatest danger that democracy faces is the lobbying of politicians by business organisations.
Giant corporations worldwide are currently trying to secure the best democracy that money can buy. If successful, democracy will be rapidly transformed into facism.
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