LONDON: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in a new setback to his election campaign, apologised on Friday for leaving D-Day commemorations early. He said he left early to give an interview in which he attacked the main opposition party.

Sunak’s decision not to stay at the event in northern France alongside other world leaders was met with dismay in the Conservative Party. Opinion polls suggest he faces the prospect of a heavy defeat in the national election on July 4.

The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, remained in Normandy for the duration of events marking the 80th anniversary of the ‘D-Day’ landings. Starmer was seen talking to leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“On reflection, it was a mistake not to stay longer, and I’ve apologised for that, but I also don’t think it’s right to be political in the midst of D-Day commemorations,” Sunak told reporters. “The focus should rightly be on the veterans.”

Sunak says his plans had been set, long before the start of the election campaign.

US President Joe Biden, Britain’s King Charles and other leaders gathered at the events in Normandy. Sunak spoke at a British-led event but delegated other duties to ministers, which included Foreign Secretary David Cameron.

Cameron was pictured with Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

An anonymous Conservative politician said, “I can’t explain it and I won’t.” The lawmaker said it could become the “Gillian Duffy moment”, in a reference to 2010 when then-prime minister Gordon Brown had apologised for being caught on tape calling a voter “a bigoted woman”. This moment was seen as a turning point, in a campaign which he eventually lost.

Sunak’s Conservatives lag about 20 points behind Labour in opinion polls. Sunak’s campaign had an inauspicious start last month, when he announced the election date under a downpour of rain.

Sunak competed to ‘be heard’ against Labour supporters, who blared a pop song associated with their party’s crushing ‘1997 election victory’.

In another major blow to the Tories, Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage assumed leadership of the right-wing Reform UK party. Farage stated this week that he plans to stand in the election.

Political pain

Sunak says he is the person ‘best placed’, to look after Britain’s security, adding that he will introduce mandatory national service, should he stay in power.

The wealthy former hedge fund executive has often been portrayed as being ‘out of touch’ with ordinary people. This is during a campaign in which a cost-of-living crisis is a significant issue. He was asked repeatedly about the decision, whilst on the campaign trail on Friday.

Chris Hopkins, political research director at the polling company Savanta, says Sunak’s “political misjudgement seems almost laser-guided in causing Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party as much political pain as humanly possible”.

Senior Labour spokesman Jona­than Ashworth accused Sunak of “choosing to prioritise his own vanity TV appearances over our veterans” and “it is yet more desperation, yet more chaos”.

Liberal Democrat chief Ed Davey accused Sunak of a “total dereliction of duty”.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2024