Sunak skips off early from the D Day commemorations

Sunak has cancelled all interviews today.

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

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 !!

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

Rishi Sunak was in Normandy in the morning for the British Services commemorating British forces. He spent much time chatting to British veterans.
He was there for those who count the most to British people.
Unfortunately leaving early was a misjudgement but he was there for those who mattered most and missed the schmoozing and the best of the photo ops.
Just saying

What on earth do you mean 'those who count the most to the British people? How very insular and narrow minded..

Everyone who fought to defeat fascists and the German regime matters to all of the descendants of the Allies. None could have done it alone.

Not insular at all, all those who gave their lives matter but let’s be honest it’s our families that count the most to us.

It wasn’t just a misjudgement, it was a serious misjudgement, or it wouldn’t be headlines -it’s being talked about everywhere today, If it was important enough for Macron and Biden to stay for the afternoon, it was important enough for our PM to stay too.

Yes I agree it was a serious misjudgement if there has to be a scale of misjudgements.
Just throwing in a different perspective for debate.

LauraNorderr

Not insular at all, all those who gave their lives matter but let’s be honest it’s our families that count the most to us.

Mrs Thatcher would have been so proud to hear people talking like this and assuming that her sociopathic beliefs are held by 'most of us'.

"There is no such thing as society, just individuals"

The British veterans were at the international event in the afternoon; it was beautiful and very moving. I can't believe that anyone who actually watched it thought it was about photo ops and schmoozing. That would be crass in the extreme.

I think it’s been agreed, by all`` sides, including the Tories, that Sunak made a crass error of judgement.

How much that impacts, during the election, remains to be seen, but it does show how out of touch he is.

Do you think a big part of his/his advisers’ decision making on this was that (some? many?) Tory voters would think he ‘did the important bits’, and some (many?) Brexiteers not being keen on Sunak being seen to support a ceremony that included Ode to Joy (about which Sunak’s views are well known), and which celebrated - and showed the need for - the ECHR, and European common values?

I rather think, btw, that George Osborne is trolling Sunak today, posting on his socials that he (Osborne) is having a delightful afternoon watching Morris dancing to Ode to Joy.

Heh come on guys. He’s apologised. You know the Tories - that’s all it takes. It worked for Hester after he blatantly attacked Diane Abbott. Of course it will work this time and all those wonderful blue rinse Tories will realise the poor PM is under so much pressure, he had no choice but to chose to come back to do an interview that’s not going be shown for ages. Don’t worry guys, they know the true Tories will understand!!?!!!

As my sister pointed out, the President of France attended but the French Prime Minister stayed away. So how about the fact that King Charles and Queen Camilla were there plus Lord Cameron. So from any perspective, the Uk was very over represented. But a good stick to bash Sunak…

ronib

As my sister pointed out, the President of France attended but the French Prime Minister stayed away. So how about the fact that King Charles and Queen Camilla were there plus Lord Cameron. So from any perspective, the Uk was very over represented. But a good stick to bash Sunak…

Umm I think Gabriel Attal was there.
presseagence.fr/paris-gabriel-attal-aux-ceremonies-du-80eme-anniversaire-des-debarquements-en-normandie-et-de-la-liberation/
The pictures are on his Twitter feed, as well as this from the Press Agency.
The King and Queen were not at the international ceremony which is understandable given his health issues, but Prince William was. It is well worth watching.

Give your sister a stiff talking to ronib. He was definitely there, he did a joint speech with Justin Trudeau. All covered by CNN.
www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/d-day-80-anniversary-06-06-24-intl/h_8751a2c0a07ebae23c6172b146192967

The veterans stayed for the international event, as did 26+ world leaders . It’s disgraceful that the PM thought an ITV interview more important. He has apologised, so he acknowledged his error - there’s no defending it.

Siope

Do you think a big part of his/his advisers’ decision making on this was that (some? many?) Tory voters would think he ‘did the important bits’, and some (many?) Brexiteers not being keen on Sunak being seen to support a ceremony that included Ode to Joy (about which Sunak’s views are well known), and which celebrated - and showed the need for - the ECHR, and European common values?

I rather think, btw, that George Osborne is trolling Sunak today, posting on his socials that he (Osborne) is having a delightful afternoon watching Morris dancing to Ode to Joy.

I rather think, btw, that George Osborne is trolling Sunak today, posting on his socials that he (Osborne) is having a delightful afternoon watching Morris dancing to Ode to Joy.

I'm trying, but... no - I cannot imagine Morris dancing to 'Ode To Joy'. And I love both.

I think that Mr Sunak was probably a very good local MP and I believe he was an excellent Chancellor. I don't believe however that he is suited to the PM role and I think by now he knows it and will frankly be very glad to get rid of it. He's not " political" enough.

LauraNorderr

Rishi Sunak was in Normandy in the morning for the British Services commemorating British forces. He spent much time chatting to British veterans.
He was there for those who count the most to British people.
Unfortunately leaving early was a misjudgement but he was there for those who mattered most and missed the schmoozing and the best of the photo ops.
Just saying

I see that and am sure it was a very long day, but surely he should have realised how leaving early would look, and be made to look by his political opponents, newspapers, SM and the man in the street?If he couldn’t see it then advisors should have done and warned him about it.
What with the Welsh football gaffe, visiting the Titanic Museum and now this, he may as well throw in the towel right now.

Dickens

Siope

Do you think a big part of his/his advisers’ decision making on this was that (some? many?) Tory voters would think he ‘did the important bits’, and some (many?) Brexiteers not being keen on Sunak being seen to support a ceremony that included Ode to Joy (about which Sunak’s views are well known), and which celebrated - and showed the need for - the ECHR, and European common values?

I rather think, btw, that George Osborne is trolling Sunak today, posting on his socials that he (Osborne) is having a delightful afternoon watching Morris dancing to Ode to Joy.

I rather think, btw, that George Osborne is trolling Sunak today, posting on his socials that he (Osborne) is having a delightful afternoon watching Morris dancing to Ode to Joy.

I'm trying, but... no - I cannot imagine Morris dancing to 'Ode To Joy'. And I love both.

I don’t think it was anything like you say Siope and Sunak needs to appeal to more than Tory voters in any case.
It will probably be that aides thought a tv interview was more important than staying to the end in France.
George Osborne is a pillock who I would like to tie to the maypole and pelt with very old cabbages.😁

Obviously any sane person would yearn to pelt Osborne with cabbages, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t taking the proverbial out of Sunak’s slightly unhinged views on Ode to Joy.

I guess we will never know what motivated the rushing home, but I think, if you are Sunak or his ideological ilk, either optic looks problematic.

Dickens no video was provided, so I cannot swear to Mr O’s veracity.

Cabbages are quite hefty, even for people you really hate. Maybe pelting him with old Brussels sprouts would be more fitting?

Sadly I think Sunak’s lapse of judgement will come back to haunt him . He missed out on the publicity of being photographed as a statesman and instead looked cheap and shallow coming home early for what was not even a live interview. Shot himself in the foot in no uncertain way.
Like it or not, this suggests a lack of the sort of patriotism which runs through many Conservative voters, particularly of the older generation, and may prove a very big nail in his election coffin.

Siope

Obviously any sane person would yearn to pelt Osborne with cabbages, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t taking the proverbial out of Sunak’s slightly unhinged views on Ode to Joy.

I guess we will never know what motivated the rushing home, but I think, if you are Sunak or his ideological ilk, either optic looks problematic.

Dickens no video was provided, so I cannot swear to Mr O’s veracity.

He didn’t rush home. He never intended to be there in the evening because it was French.