Claims extracted
24
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
8%
2 of 24 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans right
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
64/100
Evening Standard's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Bassam Mahfouz has urged the mayor to consider selling the stadium to the football club as way to avoid losing tens of millions of pounds a year.
asserted
Mahfouz → urge → pounds
He said the current arrangement, where West Ham pays rent to use the stadium as its home ground, had proved “disastrous” for London taxpayers.
asserted
Ham → say → taxpayers
London Stadium LLP – wholly owned by the Greater London Authority (GLA) – revealed earlier this year that it loses around £19million annually.
asserted
it → own → 19million
After its relegation to the Championship, West Ham now pays up to £2.5m rent to London Stadium, under the terms of its 99-year contract signed with the GLA in 2013.
asserted
Ham → pay → 2013
However under the same contract the club doesn’t contribute towards costs such as stewarding, policing and pitch maintenance.
asserted
club → contribute → stewarding
London Stadium now wants to host more concerts to boost income.
asserted
Stadium → want → income
But having questioned stadium boss Lyn Gardner at the London Assembly in July, Mahfouz believes the “onerous” contract puts too many “barriers” in the way.
asserted
contract → question → way
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that West Ham had “very little incentive” to agree to more concerts during the football season, and a “veto” over naming rights.
asserted
Ham → tell → rights
In a letter to Lord Khan, he said: “Whilst the onerous contract is not something that can be amended, a new way forward is possible if it were to be made redundant.
“
asserted
it → say → Khan
That could be facilitated through a sale of the stadium to the club.”
uncertain
That → facilitate → club
However the club gets priority use over the stadium during the football season.
asserted
club → get → season
Speaking at the London Assembly in July, Gardner explained it can take two weeks to return the stadium to a football ground after its use for other events.
asserted
it → speak → events
This means that if the stadium wanted to host concerts in September, West Ham would have to play all of its matches away that month.
asserted
Ham → mean → matches
The club also gets a say over the venue’s naming rights, which Gardner said had scuppered stadium sponsorship deals in the past.
asserted
Gardner → get → past
Mahfouz told the LDRS: “The deal cannot be renegotiated.
asserted
deal → tell → LDRS
There’s very little incentive for the club to agree these things.
asserted
club → ’ → things
“It needs a refresh and a rethink – if you can’t renegotiate the deal you need something new on the table and that has to be a sale”.
asserted
that → need → table
Fans attending West Ham’s match against Wrexham in September told the LDRS they supported a sale.
asserted
they → attend → sale
One said: “It should happen – it’s not fair on the taxpayers paying for it, we want the stadium and see what we can do with it, and actually build a better stadium.
asserted
we → say → stadium
Another, Jamie, said: “I think they should sell it.
asserted
they → say → it
I think it would be better for the club.
asserted
it → think → club
They could do whatever they wanted with it, and I know a lot of taxpayers’ money goes to the stadium.”
uncertain
lot → do → stadium
A spokesperson for Lord Khan did not rule out a sale.
asserted
spokesperson → rule → sale
They told the LDRS: “The mayor has been clear that he would consider any credible proposal for the stadium, provided it offers value for taxpayers, protects the public interest and preserves the wider economic, social and sporting benefits the venue delivers for London.”
West Ham United declined to comment, but it is understood that the club will consider proposals from London Stadium for hosting additional events.
asserted
club → tell → events
The Aporia
