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Conservatives Question Ministry of Sound's Dome Deal

Author: Jonty Adderley
Saturday, December 29, 2001
Politicians from Britain's opposition party the Conservatives are demanding further information about the terms of Ministry of Sound's deal to hire the Millennium Dome this New Year's Eve, the Guardian reported this week. According to previous press reports the superclub organisation booked the now derelict structure for just £5,000.

"Mr James Palumbo, Mr Peter Mandelson's Labour-supporting friend and the Ministry's owner, stands to make £1.8million (US$2.5million) from the ticket sales to 40,000 revellers," said the Evening Standard when they broke the story early in December. "Serious questions are raised about the nature of this deal."

Shadow culture secretary Tim Yeo also challenged the relationship between Palumbo and the highly controversial sacked Government Minister Mandelson, announcing that the Conservatives (aka Tories) will be seeking full disclosure of any government money going towards the rave.

"It is well known that [Ministry Of Sound owner] James Palumbo is a close friend of Peter Mandelson, the architect of the disaster of the Dome itself," Yeo explained.

Ministry spokesperson Met Salih refuted any suggestions of impropriety, saying, "The figure of £5,000 is misleading and highly inaccurate. The party is actually costing Ministry Of Sound well in excess of £1million to produce" (The Guardian).

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk (Evening Standard)
http://www.guardian.co.uk (The Guardian)
http://greenwich2000.com/millennium/dome
http://www.ministryofsound.com
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