91Èȱ¬

Mayor Ken Livingstone said the Olympics would cost Londoners 38-pence a week - the same as the price of a walnut whip.

According to our research, 79 per cent of those questioned think it will cost them more than that.

65 per cent think that Londoners will end up paying for any additional costs - although a significant majority - 69 per cent - think it should be shared equally among taxpayers around the UK.

Despite the controversy over costs, 69 per cent support London hosting the games.

The research was carried out for 91Èȱ¬ London by the polling organisation Mori.

Just over a thousand London adults were interviewed during the last two days of November.

A full breakdown of the survey appears below:

91Èȱ¬ LONDON OLYMPICS SURVEY

Q1. Do you support or oppose London hosting the 2012 Olympic Games?

• Strongly Support - 42%
  
• Tend to support - 27%
  
• Neither support nor oppose - 11%
  
• Tend to oppose - 6%
  
• Strongly oppose - 12%
  
• Don't know - 1%
  
• Support - 69%
  
• Oppose - 18%

Q2. Do you think that the Government and the Mayor of London are doing a good or bad job at preparing for the 2012 Games?Ìý

• Very good - 10%
  
• Fairly good - 35%
  
• Fairly bad - 21%
  
• Very bad - 16%
  
• Don't know - 19%
  
• Good - 45%
  
• Bad - 37%

Q3. Do you agree or disagree that the team responsible for winning the bid for London were open and honest about how much the games would cost?Ìý

• Strongly agree - 8%
  
• Tend to agree - 23%
  
• Neither agree nor disagree - 8%
  
• Tend to disagree - 21%
  
• Strongly disagree - 27%
  
• Don't know - 14%
  
• Agree - 31%
  
• Disagree - 48%

Q4. The Mayor of London says that the Games will cost each Londoner 38p a week, which is the price of a walnut whip. Do you think that the actual cost to Londoners will be less than this, more than this, or about this amount?

• Less - 4%
  
• More - 79%
  
• About 38 - 12%
  
• Don't know - 5%

Q5. The Government has recently said that hosting the games is likely to cost several hundred million pounds more than previous estimates. Has this made you more or less likely to support London hosting the Games, or has it made no difference?Ìý

• A lot more likelyÌý - 2%
  
• A little more likely - 1%
  
• A little less likely -11%
  
• A lot less likely - 21%
  
• Made no difference - 62%
  
• Don't know - 2%
  
• More likely - 3%
  
• Less likely - 32%

Q6. Do you think that any additional costs for hosting the Olympics, that is to say those that cannot be covered by sponsorship or commercial revenue, should be paid for mainly by London taxpayers, mainly by taxpayers across the UK, or shared equally between London taxpayers and those across the UK?Ìý

• Mainly London taxpayers - 5%
  
• Mainly taxpayers across the UK - 16%
  
• Shared equally between London and non-London taxpayers - 69%
  
• Other - 7%
  
• Should not go ahead - 2%
  
• Don't know - 2%

Q7. And who do you think will pay for any additional costs – mainly London taxpayers, mainly taxpayers across the UK, or shared equally?Ìý

• Mainly London taxpayers - 65%
  
• Mainly taxpayers across the UK - 8%
  
• Shared equally between London and non-London taxpayers - 20%
  
• Other - 1%
  
• Should not go ahead *
  
• Don't know - 5%

Q8. I’m going to read out a list of potential benefits for London hosting the 2012 Olympic Games.

a) Which, if any, do you think will happen?

b) Which, if any, do you think would most justify the amount the Games are costing?

• Increased tourism A)83 - B)40
• Better sports facilities available A) 82 - B)44
• Regeneration of East London A)81 - B)52
• Increased employment A)81 - B)47
• Good for London’s economy A)74 - B)43
• Good for Britain generally A)74 - B)37
• Increased national pride A)69 - B)31
• Improved transport system across London A)63 - B)44
• Inspire future generations to be healthy and active A)56 - B)37
• Encourage a sense of community A)53 - B)28ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý

(Ipsos MORI interviewed 1,009 London adults aged 18+ between 29th and 30th November 2006. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. Where results do not sum to 100, this may be due to multiple responses, computer rounding or the exclusion of don’t knows/not stated. Results are based on all respondents unless otherwise stated. An asterisk (*) represents a value of less than one half or one percent, but not zero.)

You can email your views to us: yourlondon@bbc.co.uk

Your views:

My views on the London Olympics?
I am outraged that I am to forced, purely because of where I live and on pain of a fine or ultimately imprisonment, to pay for an event that I don't want, have absolutely no interest in, and which is virtually impossible to reach from where I live, by public transport anyway.Ìý

It is hardly sensible or "green" in any event, to build a new Olympic complex every four years with its attendant sky-high costs and inevitable pollution.Ìý If the worlds' sports fanatics want great Olympic showpiece facilities, let those who are willing and able contribute to a permanent location with guaranteed good weather and appropriate provenance.Ìý Greece comes to mind.
By all means let the Lord Coe's and other sports nuts who delight in getting other people's money spent on their particular enthusiasms have their glory and monuments.
I just don't see any valid reason why I should have to pay for it!

Andrew Jackson

I cannot believe the arro agance of Lord Coe, he dismisses what the public think with a one word answer "no".
Now we find out that he did not mention sport at the bid talks but only the benefits, privately that can be made by the consortium that he represents. Good one Sebastian, once a tory always a capatalist.
David Smith, South Bank.

Re The Olympic endless money pit ..that only LONDON is going to have to find...

Lets have a NATIONALÌý Olympics Day , and for the next five years on St Georges Day and across the country that raises money with events sports related, so in the end Londons massive poor population is not having to pay for it.

Andrew in Stepney

Londoners have not been asked to pay for the games, they have been told, London Rate payers should be asked what they think, not all Londoners will be paying towards these games, Only the rate payer, and when these games are all over, and the land developments start earning money, in sales and rents, will the rate payers get anything back, I should say not, just another increase in rates, for Red Ken to play with.
Fred Ricketts

Lord coe like all politicians always twist the truth in their favour. And why do the rate payers have to fork out all the time? How much are the people getting for their hard earned money. The politicians are rich most of us have to fight for survival.

Brian from Hayes