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Today, especially if you're a Londoner, it probably won't have escaped your notice that there are exactly two years to go until the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I met with Olympic Gold medallist Jonathan Edwards in Parliament to mark the '2 Years To Go' celebrations and discuss the opportunities presented by the Games.

Edmonton is fairly close to the Olympic site but not close enough for any of the stadiums or events to be actually held in Edmonton. As the MP for the area I feel strongly that we should get to feel the benefits of the capital hosting such a huge sporting event. The legacy of the Games is particularly important and I want all my constituents, young and old, to be able to gain from that. If the Conservative/LibDem coalition were to cut the Olympics budget, the legacy factor would be the first to go and this would be a disaster, not just for the surrounding London boroughs, but for the entire country, which needs to benefit too.

So far things are largely positive and the excitement is definitely growing. The project remains on track and within budget, and construction of the major venues will be complete by next summer, with plenty of time to spare. There are now around 10,000 workers on the Olympic Park and Olympic Village so jobs are being created and business opportunities are being provided to companies across the whole of London and the UK.

It's particularly important that local people grab the opportunities that are already on offer now. If you fancy the idea of volunteering as a 'Games Maker' during the Olympics then you can log on to www.london2012.com and sign up. Equally, if you want to be the first to hear about when the tickets go on sale - likely to be next spring - then you can sign up online for that to happen. The idea is that the Olympics are accessible and affordable to all and I look forward to seeing that premise put into practice.