An ally of Rishi Sunak has confirmed that the prime minister will continue to lead the Conservative election campaign despite the backlash following his early departure from the D-day ceremony. Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride defended Sunak, stating that he deeply regrets his decision and is committed to supporting veterans. Sunak’s absence from the media over the weekend has drawn criticism from politicians, with Labour sources calling for him to address the public soon. The Conservatives are aiming to move past the controversy this week as all parties prepare to launch their manifestos.
Sunak will ‘absolutely’ remain Tory leader despite D-day blunder, ally says | General election 2024
An ally of Rishi Sunak has said the prime minister will “absolutely” continue to lead the Conservative election campaign after his D-day ceremony blunder, which triggered fury within the party.
The prime minister was campaigning in Yorkshire on Sunday without media appearances, after cutting short his attendance at the 80th anniversary of D-day in France with other world leaders.
Mel Stride, the work and pensions secretary, said Sunak would not resign over the move in the middle of an election campaign. “There should be no question of anything other than [Sunak continuing to lead the party],” he told Sky News.
Stride said Sunak “deeply regrets” his decision to leave the D-day events early, calling the prime minister “deeply patriotic” and committed to supporting veterans. “He has recognised that he made a mistake. He deeply regrets that. He has apologised unequivocally for that,” Stride said.
“And I think he will be feeling this personally, very deeply, because he’s a deeply patriotic person. He will be deeply uncomfortable with what has happened.”
Sunak has been criticised by politicians across the spectrum for his decision. The choice to return to the UK early to resume campaigning left Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, and Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, to occupy his space on the world stage in France.
As Sunak failed to appear in the media on Saturday or Sunday, Labour sources said the prime minister needed to “come out of hiding soon and explain how families can afford five more years of this madness”.
The Conservatives will attempt to draw a line under the D-day debacle this week, which is expected to see manifesto launches from all of the parties.
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https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jun/09/rishi-sunak-conservative-tory-leader-election-d-day-anniversary