Prime Minister, Boris Johnson’s former rival, Rishi Sunak’s early D-Day exit sparks backlash

British PM Rishi Sunak faced backlash for leaving D-Day events early, missing a final ceremony with world leaders, sparking accusations of putting campaigning over commemorations.

Mr. Sunak has been criticized for quitting D-Day celebration events in Normandy on Thursday and missing a final event with other leaders.

Sunak has attended previous D-Day commemorations with King Charles III and leader of the opposition Keir Starmer, including a British national event in Ver-sur-Mer. However, he left before an international ceremony at Omaha Beach where Starmer was captured on camera with other leaders such as the U. S President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The prime minister missing the event was captured on camera with Mr. Cameron standing with the current U. S., French, and German leaders at Omaha Beach while Mr. Sunak was on a plane heading back to the U.K.

In the interview with ITV News that Sunak conducted after the return, he said he never lied about Labour’s tax plans, which in turn, forced the Labour party to accuse him of focusing on the campaign instead of the serious D-Day ceremonies.

‘What does that say for his judgment that he got this one so wrong? It should have been staring him in his face there was only one place to be yesterday,’ a Labour source said,  for describing Sunak’s early departure as ‘desperate’ and suggesting ‘chaos’ in the Conservative campaign.

The Conservatives have acknowledged that the early exit was a bad idea and Sunak has apologized. But questions have been raised on who decided on his early departure and whether it is due to the called election, some of the reports suggest that his schedule was planned for weeks ago.

Also Read: Britain’s PM Sunak has declared an early general election for 4th July 2024

It is seen as a self-created blunder in the Conservatives’ campaign for election, overshadowing the D-Day anniversary and providing Labour with the material for attacks on Sunak’s decision-making abilities.