The jobless require tailored assistance

Recognition of the Olympics' potential to tackle high unemployment in London, especially in the east, is increasing. At a recent reception hosted by Gordon Brown for the London Poverty Commission, the chancellor, Ken Livingstone and Sebastian Coe emphasised how the Games and the preparation for them would generate employment. And the event must do so. New research from the Greater London Authority shows that 33 per cent of children in London live in families that are dependent on benefits, compared with 23 per cent for Britain as a whole (still a disturbingly high figure).