The government recently announced it will pump £41 million of taxpayers' money into the closing and opening ceremonies; increasing the budget drastically from £40 million to £81 million.
“This is a moment next summer, or four moments next summer, when the eyes of the world will be looking at us,” Britain's sports minister Hugh Robertson told the BBC.
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“It is absolutely incumbent on us, in government, to maximise that opportunity to drive the maximum benefit for the economy and for tourism.”
But the move has come under attack from those who think the money could be better spent on longer-term investments.
“It's actually unbelievable that they've doubled the budget on the opening ceremony, which only lasts for a few hours,” former sports minister Richard Caborn said.
“When really they ought to be investing that money . . . in our young athletes and particularly in school sports which has been dramatically cut, and which really is an investment for life, not just for a few hours.”
