london olympics

Playing down the meltdown at Heathrow’s border control earlier this week, Damian Green told MPs: “I stress to the House that our information shows that queuing times bore no resemblance to some of the wilder suggestions.” But with these “wilder suggestions” coming from the airlines and passengers themselves, it’s little wonder that British Airways’ chief executive Willie Walsh accused the minister was “misleading” the public over the extent of waiting times at passport control. Mr Walsh told Channel 4 News: “I think he was certainly misleading when he told people that the maximum queue was 90 minutes when we know it went well beyond that – and not just on one occasion.” Who’s right? FactCheck jets in.

In 2006, Transport for London promised: “One third of Tube stations will have step-free access by 2013 and will, if possible, accelerate accessibility works ahead of the 2012 Olympics”. How did they get on? FactCheck dons its hard hat.

“How can you calculate the long-term returns on the Olympic facilities when you don’t know whether a newly-built stadium will turn out to be a popular sports centre or the next Millennium Dome?”