How much did this lot cost (London Fireworks)

[Frutos]

What a waste of money...

 

[Wozza]

The money is insignificant to the £10B being spunked on the Olympics just to make it better than Beijing.

Don't think anyone is claiming it will be "better" tbh.

 

[melias shoes]

Alot but this is an important year for this country.

But still nothing on the Aussies

London was very impressive . The Aussie display whilst always good is the same every year.
They have the perfect platform but deliver a repeat performance time after time.

 

[sydney]

London was very impressive . The Aussie display whilst always good is the same every year.
They have the perfect platform but deliver a repeat performance time after time.

yeah but they're all sat outside on a blanket or a boat quaffing champgne , crayfish sarnies and charlie........not an electric heater or a pair of sheepskin slippers in sight...!!!

 

[teaboy]

Where did the figure 4m come from, they have just said on Sky News that the cost was 280k?

£280,000 sounds about right for the actual cost of the fireworks. The higher number (whatever that may be!) would cover the whole cost of the complete event and include the increased cost of transport, security, policing and clearing up. There's also planning, hire of stuff and road closures in central London outside the 'viewing areas' to consider. Bear in mind that it may well cost £4m for LONDON'S celebration. That could also include wider celebration costs to Boroughs as well as the Central London event.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

FFS, times are tough, but what are the authorities everywhere going to do? Say "that's it, f*** off everyone, no more fun, we're spending everything we have now on nurses, litter picking, school transport, cleaning graffiti off bus stops, diversity appreciation workshops, new duvets for prisoners, filling in potholes and paying off interest on our debts"? What would that do for public morale, which is actually crucial to any government?

It's not as though the money spent on the fireworks would actually have gone into a hospital even if NYE had been cancelled, it'd just have been wasted somewhere else. I guess it was probably ring fenced from an early stage, and with a view to attracting tourists to London (a spectacular success judging by the TV footage). How would the London authorities justify it to hoteliers and thousands of others who work in the tourist industry if they DIDN'T bother trying to make NYE brilliant?

For what it's worth, I thought the fireworks were awesome, I'd almost forgotten 2012 was an Olympic year until that point. They did a fantastic job, reminded me of just how great this year could turn out to be, despite terrible economic times, and made me just a tiny bit proud to be British. No doubt the Olympics will be amazing too, even though cynics will be out in force. For once it's a great chance for us to show off to the world: I can't wait.

 

[Notters]

Don't think anyone is claiming it will be "better" tbh.

Well they'll have crowds that want to be there, for a start.

I'll never for get seeing the cycling road race at the Beijing olympics with it's government organised crowds with their set coloured flags carefully positioned at certain points along the course.

 

[Mr deez]

That is pretty bloody impressive I must say.

 

[ArcticBlue]

We gave aid to Russia! what the hell for.

Oil, Gas, Snow and 1 potato.

 

[BigGully]

Current DFID spending in India is £280m a year, until 2015.

The priorities are:-
++ Focus on the poorest people in India's low income states: UK assistance will benefit the poorest people in three poor states - Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa - reinforcing the deep, productive partnerships we have built over the last decade
++ Put women and girls at the heart of our work: the UK will invest in girls' education; access to finance, skills and low carbon energy; safe birth, children by choice and reducing violence against women; children's health and nutrition; and sanitation
++ Catalyse the private sector's potential to combat poverty: to support growth in the low income states the UK will develop programmes of pro-poor private investment to deliver jobs, products, infrastructure and basic services
++ Deepen our engagement with India on global issues where there may be benefits for poor people elsewhere: such as growth and trade, climate change, resource scarcity and health and disease control

There's an obvious case for disengagement with direct aid to India and this is what is happening. India is still a country with huge differences in income. The aim is to phase out direct aid, but, until that is achieved, continue to work to relieve poverty and promote practical economic development in the poorest parts of the country.

British MPs back aid to India | Liz Ford | Global development | guardian.co.uk

Why the hell doesn't their Government, use some of their own money to fund these issues, after all it is their peoples.

Maybe using some of their £36b defence budget on their poorest people or maybe delaying their 'space project' at a cost of £750m !!!!

At what point do we demand of others to be responsible for their people, instead of chucking our money at them.

I find it quite despicable that a country that has more billionaires and greater growth than the UK, can somehow justify such arrogant spending whilst their peoples cannot feed themselves.

How you can somehow justify that is beyond me.