Former Prime Minister Liz Truss has launched a surprising attack on the beloved London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, claiming it was created by an "elite that hates Britain". The criticism came during an interview with US right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro, as Metro reports.
The ceremony, directed by Oscar-winner Danny Boyle, celebrated British culture from the Industrial Revolution to Shakespeare and Mr Bean. But Shapiro particularly objected to the section celebrating the National Health Service, describing it as "dancing syringes" for "a giant welfare system".
Political transformation revealed
Truss's current stance represents a dramatic reversal from her previous position. In 2013, she praised the same ceremony, saying it had "seamlessly combined Isambard Kingdom Brunel and William Shakespeare, Tim Berners-Lee and Mary Poppins", according to HuffPost UK.
The former Conservative leader told Shapiro that "the views expressed in the Olympics ceremony are not the views of the average Briton". She specifically named Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer (Labour) as members of this supposed elite who want to "help the human rights of anyone who doesn't live in Britain", as Metro reported.
Post-PM political trajectory
Truss has increasingly embraced the US right wing since her forced resignation after just 49 days in office in 2022. At the Conservative Political Action Conference in February 2024, she remained silent as former White House strategist Steve Bannon described far-right activist Tommy Robinson as a "hero", Metro confirmed.
Her political shift proved costly at the general election, where she sensationally lost her South West Norfolk seat to Labour's Terry Jermy. The ceremony she now criticises was officially called "Isles of Wonder" and was watched by nearly one billion viewers globally, HuffPost UK noted.
Sources used: "PA Media", "Metro", "HuffPost UK" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
