Hoey says London's bid is a waste of money

The Vauxhall MP told BBC2's Fighting Talk that Paris would win the vote.

"The inevitable thing over the next six months will be the hype about London's bid and how we're going to win by miles - the inevitability is Paris will win.

"Longer term we should host an Olympics sometime but not at the moment because I don't think we are ready. We don't deserve it and Paris does," said Hoey.

Hoey, who was sports minister from 1999-2001, criticised the decision to spend �30m on the bid.

"I don't believe we should be wasting all the millions of pounds we are going to waste," she said.

"If we want to regenerate London, regenerate London, but don't wait for 123 IOC (International Olympic Committee) members to decide we're going to regenerate it."

Hoey's stance is in stark contrast to the Government's, with Prime Minister Tony Blair having repeatedly pledged his support for the bid.

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Paris is seen as favourite to win hosting rights when the IOC votes at its congress in Singapore on 6 July 2005.

Bookmakers have ranked London second ahead of Madrid, New York and Moscow.