Rishi Sunak has said it is important not to “politicise” his returning from D-Day commemorations in Normandy early – and denied he was planning to skip it entirely.
The prime minister was heavily criticised for not being at part of the 80th anniversary D-Day ceremony on Thursday as he travelled back from France to the UK to record a TV interview set to go out next week.
He was last seen giving a speech mid-morning and was notably absent from the International Ceremony on Omaha Beach at 3.30pm that was billed as being attended by 25 heads of state, veterans and officials.
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Reaction to apology and election latest
Mr Sunak apologised on Friday morning on social media and said it was a mistake to have not stayed.
He then urged people to not turn his mishap into a political weapon as he faced attacks from other political parties as the election campaign entered its third week, while a D-Day veteran accused him of letting the country down.
The PM also denied he had initially planned to not go at all so he could focus on campaigning.
“Having participated in all the British events with British veterans, I returned home before the international leaders event later in the day,” he said.
“On reflection, that was a mistake and I apologise. I think it’s important, though, given the enormity of the sacrifice made, that we don’t politicise this. The focus should rightly be on the veterans who gave so much.”
Asked if he considered skipping the commemorations entirely, he said: “That’s simply not right.
“The itinerary for these events was set weeks ago before the general election campaign. Of course, I was always scheduled to participate both in Portsmouth and in France. I was proud and privileged to do so.”
He earlier wrote on social media: “The 80th anniversary of D-Day has been a profound moment to honour the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to protect our values, our freedom and our democracy.
“This anniversary should be about those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The last thing I want is for the commemorations to be overshadowed by politics.
“I care deeply about veterans and have been honoured to represent the UK at a number of events in Portsmouth and France over the past two days and to meet those who fought so bravely.
“After the conclusion of the British event in Normandy, I returned back to the UK. On reflection, it was a mistake not to stay in France longer – and I apologise.”
A No10 spokeswoman said: “The prime minister was always scheduled to attend D-Day commemorations, including the UK National Commemoration event in Normandy, and it is incorrect to suggest otherwise.”
Normandy veteran says Sunak let country down
D-Day veteran Ken Hay, 98, who was captured as a prisoner of war weeks after 6 June 1944, told Sky News: “He lets the country down.
“It’s not the representation of how we’re trying to weld things together to keep the peace.”
He said Mr Sunak had decided to “bail out, let them get on with it because ‘I want to stand in the election’, I want my seat back'”.
Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross said the commemoration was a “crucial moment in our history” and it was “right that he apologise”.
This mishap will cause the most amount of damage for the Tories
As one pollster put it, this story seems “laser guided” to cause the most amount of damage for the Tories.
That’s because it gets at existing vulnerabilities in the campaign – such as the accusation that Rishi Sunak is out of touch or the problem with voters abandoning the Tories in favour of the more right-wing Reform party.
It all makes you wonder why on earth the Conservative team didn’t see this coming.
“He thinks cleverly but not politically. It’s the same for his advisers,” says one former cabinet minister.
But with old hands like David Cameron around, it still beggars belief that someone didn’t sound the alarm around the political risk of being seen to duck out early from such a high profile event.
The explanation from sources in the Tory campaign is that the itinerary was set weeks before the election was called and so Rishi Sunak was never due to attend the afternoon event at Omaha beach.
Many will question the judgement of a British prime minister missing a D-Day gathering with international leaders like Joe Biden even when not in an election period.
So that leaves Rishi Sunak facing difficult questions and the campaign potentially derailed for days with policy messages blotted out.
It also leaves Penny Mordaunt in a tricky situation for tonight’s seven-way debate.
The Commons leader represents Portsmouth – somewhere with a large military presence – and is a Royal Naval reservist herself.
After a smooth week or so for Sunak, this is the biggest bump in the campaign so far.
Veterans Affairs minister Johnny Mercer said the PM leaving early was a major “mistake” and after speaking to Mr Sunak this morning, he told The Sun: “He knows this is a mistake.”
“Obviously, you can imagine how I felt, as the Veterans’ Minister, when this happened,” he said.
He also accused the reaction from other politicians as being “faux outrage” and “pretty nauseating” because he said many have “done nothing but make my life difficult trying to improve veterans’ affairs”.
Mr Mercer later added this incident “does not reflect what he [Mr Sunak] has done for veterans over many years”.
“The truth is, no one’s done any more than him on that, and veterans know that as well,” he added.
Parties attack Sunak
Other political parties used the “mistake” to attack Mr Sunak, saying it was “a dereliction of duty”.
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Rishi Sunak praises D-Day veterans
Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, posted on X after Mr Sunak’s apology, saying: “One of the greatest privileges of the office of prime minister is to be there to honour those who served, yet Rishi Sunak abandoned them on the beaches of Normandy.
“It is a total dereliction of duty and shows why this Conservative government just has to go.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said D-Day is “one of our top ever achievements” and if Mr Sunak was not prepared to go to the international commemoration “that says a lot about him”.
He added: “I was there because I care. I would say I’m much more closely connected to the emotions of this country than he is.”
Lord Cameron (L) stood in for Mr Sunak for a photo with the French, German and US leaders. Pic: Reuters
Labour shadow minister Jonathan Ashworth said: “In choosing to prioritise his own vanity TV appearances over our veterans, Rishi Sunak has shown what is most important to him.
“It is yet more desperation, yet more chaos, and yet more dreadful judgement from this out of touch prime minister.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told Sky News: “For me, it was really important to be there for the whole day, that was the only choice I was going to make.
“The prime minister will have to answer for his choices.”
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Labour’s shadow defence secretary John Healey has written to defence secretary Grant Shapps requesting answers to questions including when the decision for Mr Sunak to only attend part of the ceremony was made, whether the TV interview was recorded while D-Day events were ongoing and if it is true the French government were initially informed the Pm would not attend.
SNP minister Neil Gray also called it a “dereliction of duty” and told Sky News the PM had “ill-served” the memory of his grandfather who served on D-Day.
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“I think it is utterly appalling and disgusting,” Mr Gray said.
“I think the offence that will be caused to the veterans community will be great.
“For the prime minister to think that a TV interview was more important than completing those commemorations is an appalling lack of judgement.”
