Labour Politician Calls For West Ham Olympic Stadium Deal To Be Made Public

A Labour politician has urged the U.K. government to "publish the full details" of EPL side West Ham's deal to move into London's Olympic Stadium, according to ESPN. Shadow Culture Secretary Chris Bryant labeled the move a "'fiasco,' citing ballooning costs to the taxpayer" for the £272M ($428M) redevelopment. Bryant said, "This has the feel of a fiasco cooked up somewhere between the Mayor's Office, DCMS [Departure for Culture, Media & Sport] and the Treasury. Which is why, in the interests of transparency, I urge the government to publish the full details of West Ham's secret deal as a matter of urgency." London Mayor and Conservative MP Boris Johnson "agreed with Bryant, but blamed the previous Labour government for the spiralling costs." The Hammers have to "pay a contribution" of some £15M ($23.6M) to the redevelopment, but their annual rent, reported to be £2.5M ($3.9M) on a 99-year lease, has not been revealed (ESPN, 6/25).