Few Britons would agree with Jacques Chirac's views on their food and agriculture. But many will also be unhappy that the French president's disparaging remarks may have helped derail the Paris 2012 Olympic Games bid. National pride, smarting from mad cow jibes, may be restored by London's successful bid. The economic benefits are less certain.
Claims that the Olympics will help regenerate East London must be treated with caution. Similar claims were made for the Millennium Dome. Ironically, staging the Games will provide a use for the Dome. But pursuing a further vanity project to find a use for the last one is unsound economic logic. The Olympics may lend momentum to existing regeneration plans, but this urgency should not have to rely on a major sporting event.
