Sunak skips off early from the D Day commemorations

Has a Party leader ever resigned in the middle of a general election campaign?

ITV has made it very clear various times were suggested and this was, apparently, his decision.

Is there no longer a PR department in No. !0 ? Totally bizarre !
Huge mistake !!

Sunak has cancelled all interviews today.

No reason given. - but I think we can guess why.

Visgir1

Was this Sunaks, Gordon Brown gaff when he commented about that awful woman, on air, probably?
As Starmer was there, do we know if this was planned or arranged at the last minute? If planned why not other politicians? Scotland, Wales, NI.

The Guardian think it was, along with these recent gaffes by politicians:

www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jun/08/bigoted-woman-fridge-hiding-gaffes-match-sunak-d-day-blunder

Quite right Callistemon and nor do they just decide to leave at the last minute. It’s rumoured that he didn’t intend to attend at all, then he decided to attend (probably on advice it wouldn’t look good if he didn’t) but decided to go for as little time as he could get away with. He was offered an interview, but actually I don’t think that’s the real reason he left. He left because he didn’t want to be there at all, and got away as quickly as he could. It’s a very bad look for our country having a Prime Minister who doesn’t have any interest or respect for the history of this country, nor respect for the veterans.

Visgir1

Was this Sunaks, Gordon Brown gaff when he commented about that awful woman, on air, probably?
As Starmer was there, do we know if this was planned or arranged at the last minute? If planned why not other politicians? Scotland, Wales, NI.

Such events take a long time in the planning.
Politicians do not just turn up at the last minute.

No, she wouldn't, maddyone, you're right. She's very supportive of the military.

Yes Sparklefizz, she does.
I felt sorry for her last night when she was harangued about Sunak’s decision. The responsibility is his, and his alone. Penny Mordaunt would not have left the commemorations had she been our leader.

Penny Mordaunt understands.

Whitewavemark2

Am now reading that according to the French government Sunak originally told them (French government) that he wouldn’t attend Normandy AT ALL!!

Then obvs thought better of it and tried getting away with half a day,

I think this could very well be true because I’ve heard it several times from different sources.

Sunak doesn’t understand because he doesn’t share or understand the history. These events are important to the populations of all the countries who took part in D Day, and to all the populations of countries that were eventually liberated. Many people in the UK and other participating countries have close links because they had, or still have, people who were, or still are, in the military. We understand that only a few veterans are still with us and in five more years there will be even fewer, if any still alive. We appreciate their contributions and the contributions of all those who gave their lives. Sunak completely failed to even read the room on this, and this alone makes him unfit to be our Prime Minister.

As was the Welsh first minister. The Northern Ireland Deputy was there, I think because Sinn Fein would not attend for ideological reasons, but happy to be corrected on that.

Scotland's First Minister was there Visgirl.

Has Sunak’s diary secretary resigned?

Was this Sunaks, Gordon Brown gaff when he commented about that awful woman, on air, probably?
As Starmer was there, do we know if this was planned or arranged at the last minute? If planned why not other politicians? Scotland, Wales, NI.

He said his itinerary was arranged weeks in advance. But, no election had been called that early.

To shoot off early to do a pre-recorded interview was wrong. Even the Tories are saying it was a dire mistake.🤷‍♀️

ronib

I heard Rory Stewart describe his time as an mp and a minister. Sounds as if there are simply not enough hours in the day and no family or down time. Also increasing frustration at the impossible demands of the job. Must be much worse for a prime minister in election time. But we must not think that must we?

Well no, because as he was only doing a TV interview it’s clearly not true, is it? This event was planned well in advance. Joe Biden is also in the middle of elections, but made it from the USA for goodness sake, as did veterans aged 100+. Sunak misjudged, because he didn’t understand.

Attending commemorations for war dead is not an impossible
demand

I heard Rory Stewart describe his time as an mp and a minister. Sounds as if there are simply not enough hours in the day and no family or down time. Also increasing frustration at the impossible demands of the job. Must be much worse for a prime minister in election time. But we must not think that must we?

Am now reading that according to the French government Sunak originally told them (French government) that he wouldn’t attend Normandy AT ALL!!

Then obvs thought better of it and tried getting away with half a day,

The obscenely rich man who can keep a straight face while telling us he understands what we're going through isn't going to see that popping off early was a bad idea.

Don’t know who made this billboard, but kudos to them!

No he dodged the question.

"So, he wouldn’t have been doing a TV election interview. Which suggests he never intended to do the full day.🤷‍♀️"
(*Diamond Lily*)

Well he didn't answer that on the X clip. He didn't say, I always intended to come back etc etc

Siope

Has anyone seen Sunak’s Sky News interview about n this? It’s 6 minutes but worth watching through.

It is genuinely as if there is a fault in his understanding. I found myself quite concerned for him.

This is from Sky, so has an advert to start.
news.sky.com/video/sunak-pushes-back-on-d-day-row-important-we-dont-politicise-this-13149337

This is via Twitter/X so doesn’t but may not be accessible to everyone
x.com/samcoatessky/status/1799040426764358137?s=46&t=cR0Pa_B5bkzj2u6O2LXngQ

Yes, saw it. Apologies etc.

"I don't think we should politicise it" repeated again.

Even putting concerns aside raised above, a decision to miss an afternoon of such international significance with world leaders including Zelensky and more meetings with veterans..