Following the city’s Green Council’s declaring Brighton & Hove a ‘protest city’, Labour & Co-operative Councillors are voicing concerns at a Green Council Cabinet meeting, over how much security operations for the Olympic Torch Relay, on Monday 16 July, will cost city taxpayers.

Some places, such as Somerset, declined to bid for the torch event on grounds of heavy costs such as road closures, citing sums of up to £300,000. In London, the Metropolitan Police spent almost £25,000-per-mile to secure the previous 2008 Beijing Olympic torch relay, in which 4,000 demonstrators attended and a Free Tibet protestor scuffled with former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq, attempting to wrestle the torch from her hands.

Brighton & Hove Labour are further concerned that the Green Council have not yet “quantified” the financial implications of the event and there doesn’t seem to be any financial assistance from major global brands- Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung – who will be sponsoring the event. Labour Co-op Councillors are also asking whether the route will pass the already congested Old Steine, site of the Spanish protesters, as it goes from Madeira Drive to the Pavilion.

Brighton & Hove Labour & Co-operative Leader, Councillor Gill Mitchell, said:

“Obviously this is a great honour for the city and people from right across the city will want to come and get involved. However, I do have concerns about recent statements from the Green Council encouraging demonstrations in the city and the serious effect this will have upon taxpayers’ money.

“Usually we know how much something costs before a decision is made, but the Green Council have so far not shed any light on this. Neither it seems, have they approached the 3 major sponsors of the event- Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung- for financial assistance- after all, they’ll be certainly be profiting from the event.”

“I want taxpayers to know how much this event will cost the city and what delays, which we are now growing accustomed to in this ‘protest city’, local people can expect during the event. Council and Police resources are already overstretched, so is this a good time to be encouraging protests and demonstrations? The Greens should think carefully about the implications of their policy.”