LONDONERS strongly support the bid to stage the 2012 Olympic Games but overwhelmingly reject the proposed levy on council tax to pay some of the costs.

A new Populus poll for The Times, undertaken over the weekend, underlines big differences in attitudes between residents of London and those living in the rest of the country. The answers indicate a combination of civic pride in an international and multicultural city and apprehension about its problems.

More than three quarters (78 per cent) believe that London is one of the “greatest cities in the world”, but nearly half (48 per cent) say that “if I could, I’d move out of London tomorrow”, with a similar proportion disagreeing (49 per cent).

The civic pride is shown by the big support for the London Olympic bid, backed by 67 per cent, with 29 per cent against. However, fewer than one in eight (13 per cent) agree with the proposed £20-a-year levy on council tax for ten years on the ground that London would “benefit more than the rest of the country”.

A third of Londoners (33 per cent) agree that “if taxpayers’ money is needed to stage the Olympics in London, it should come from everyone in the country because the whole country will benefit”.

However, more than half of those living in the capital (53 per cent) believe that “taxpayers’ money should not be spent on staging the Olympics because there are higher priorities for public spending”.

More than three quarters of those questioned (76 per cent) believe that Londoners have different attitudes on many key issues from non-Londoners. This belief is borne out by other findings of the poll, showing marked differences in voters’ ranking of the most important issues.

Londoners are more worried about crime and disorder, and traffic congestion and public transport than people living elsewhere but, unexpectedly, are less concerned about the threat of terrorism.

Traffic congestion and public transport ranked low in the list of important issues for all British voters when Populus asked the question a month ago, mentioned by just 11 per cent. However, 29 per cent of Londoners refer to it as among the most important issues.

Terrorism is mentioned by 17 per cent in London, and by 26 per cent of voters generally. Education and pensions come in with slightly fewer mentions in London than elsewhere.

Nearly half of Londoners (46 per cent) mention crime and disorder as among the most important issues, compared with just a third (34 per cent) in Britain as a whole. While crime is second in the ranking of issues in London, it is fourth nationally.

A half (51 per cent) do not believe that an elected mayor for London has “meant greater success in tackling crime in London”, with a mere third (32 per cent) believing that it has meant “greater success”.

Labour is further ahead of the Conservatives as the party that will do the best job on most of these important issues than in the rest of the country. For instance, the Labour lead over the Tories on transport is 17 points, against 9 points in Britain generally. On health, the lead is 17 points in London, against 10 points in the country generally. The Tories are ahead of Labour on immigration and asylum and taxes.

Despite the desire of nearly a half of Londoners to move out tomorrow, if they could, a big majority of residents of the capital like living there. Four fifths (80 per cent) say they “like living in London as an international city alongside people from many different countries”, with only 17 per cent disagreeing.

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