London - Members of parliament called on Wednesday for a full inquiry into the financing and operation of London's Millennium Dome, originally intended as a symbol of modern Britain at the start of the 21st century and now regarded as an embarrassing flop.
At least 58 MPs, including senior figures from the ruling Labour Party, have signed a House of Commons motion calling for a public judicial inquiry into the Dome affair, which has swallowed £538-million (about R5,6-billion) from the national lottery.
More are likely to add their voices to the call following a decision this week to advance the Dome a further £29-million (about R303-million) on condition that the company running the project sack its chairman.
The MPs say the new funding deprives a government fund of cash "that would otherwise go to education, health and the environment" and call on the government to pledge that no further money would be given to the Dome, adding that it is not the government's business to run a tourist attraction.
On Tuesday David Quarmby took over from former British Airways head Bob Ayling as chairman of the New Millennium Experience Company.
The company had asked for almost £39-million (about R411-million) to make up for disappointing attendance levels. NMEC has revised its business plan and now expects to attract only seven million visitors this year, down from the original 12 million visitors.
The Dome, which cost some £800-million (about R8,3-billion) to build, has been criticised for the quality of its exhibits with many claiming it has not aimed high enough and attempted to be too populist.
Prince Charles described it as a "monstrous blancmange" and a "crass waste of money", in frank statements that infuriated the government.
"It reminds me of a giant greenhouse - except that would be an insult to fertiliser," he is reported to have said.
The Independent newspaper drew a parallel with the Labour government that backed the project: "The famous zones bear the hallmark of the familiar gap between New Labour's exalted rhetoric and its diminished delivery," it said.
The normally staid Daily Telegraph described the Dome as "the biggest fake orgasm in history". - Sapa-DPA
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