Olympic Glory  

I admit it: I was an Olympic cynic.  Nine billion quid was a huge amount even when the economy was doing well. Having toured the Olympic Park on Wednesday with fellow MPs, all I can say is that the money has at least been well spent.  Some of the buildings – the Aquatic Centre, the Handball Area and the on-site power station – are very fine indeed.  The stadium will make a good home for West Ham – and having been inside it, fans can have no worries about intimacy, as it is actually quite compact. But best of all was the new riverside park.  What was once a tip sitting atop poisoned land straddled by pylons has been turned into a stunning, staggering streak of urban green.  It literally took my breath away. There will be thousands of new houses and a new school – which will make good homes, even if the whole athletes’ village is more reminiscent...