Mitt Romney changes tack to hail UK Olympics 'progress'

US presidential candidate Mitt Romney has predicted a "very successful" London Olympics after meeting Prime Minister David Cameron.

Mr Romney told US television there were "disconcerting" signs Britain was not ready to stage the Games.
But hours later, in Downing Street, he said all Games were hit by "small" mistakes and he had seen "great progress" since arriving in the UK.
The Republican contender will take on Barack Obama in November's election.
In the contest for the Republican nomination, Mr Romney made much of the fact that he delivered a successful Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2002, when he was chief executive of the event.
Speaking to reporters outside 10 Downing Street, he said he had been impressed by the enthusiasm of "millions of people across Great Britain" who had turned out for the torch relay and he "applauded the work of the organising committee in bringing the Olympic experience right into the heart of London".
'Not encouraging' "To look out of the back side of 10 Downing Street and see a venue having been constructed, knowing that athletes will be carrying out their activities almost in the back yard of the prime minister is really quite an accomplishment," said Mr Romney.
In an interview with NBC on Thursday, Mr Romney said stories about difficulties with security guards and threats of border staff strikes were "obviously... not something which is encouraging".

Some eyebrows were raised when Mitt Romney referred to Ed Miliband as 'Mr Leader'

But following talks with Mr Cameron he said mistakes were to be expected and he was sure the Games would be a success.
"My experience as an Olympic organiser is that there are always a few very small things that end up going not quite right in the first day or so.
"Those get ironed out and then when the games themselves begin and the athletes take over all the mistakes that organising committee - and I made a few - all of those are overwhelmed by the many things that the athletes carry out which capture the spirit of the Games.

The jury is still out on Mitt Romney. He looked stiff, as he always does, and slightly nervous”

"I don't know of any Olympics that has been able to be run without any mistakes whatsoever - but they are small and I was encouraged to see something that could have represented a real challenge, which was immigration and customs officers on duty, that is something which was resolved."