Jowell warns Hunt over 2012 budget

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Tessa Jowell, the former Olympics minister, has cautioned her successor over making any cuts to the budget for the London Games, a tone echoed by the Conservative Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

Jeremy Hunt, the new Secretary of State for Culture, Media, the Olympics and Sport, said that there would have to be cuts made within his department and that "Olympic money is not protected." Jowell said: "The Tories should be very careful about destabilizing the Olympic budget. Reducing the available contingency could well lead to short term savings, but greater costs in the long term."

A statement from the Mayor's office said: "It would be a mistake to take too much out of the budget, only to be forced to put more back in closer to the games."