Rishi Sunak has apologised for leaving D-day anniversary events early to take part in a TV interview, admitting it was “a mistake not to stay in France longer”.
The prime minister had been heavily criticised for allowing the foreign secretary, David Cameron, to take his place in the late afternoon ceremony at Omaha beach on Thursday, while he left Normandy to do a prerecorded ITV segment to be broadcast next week.
On Friday, the prime minister said on X: “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.”
Conservative activists reacted with fury at the sight of Cameron standing alongside the French, German and US leaders, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and Joe Biden, with one saying it had left them questioning whether to “bother to continue campaigning”.
Rishi may have the brains to run a company (maybe) but his public interaction of any kind is atrocious. I listened to the full five-minute apology, and it sounded utterly false. Every time he speaks, not just this apology, you can tell it has been scripted, especially when he’s asked a question, and he replies with the identical repetition of something he’s already said.
The amount of times he said the same sentence about the fact the itinerary was already set weeks ago. So you were always planning to leave early? I hope some evidence turns up to prove that he allegedly wasn’t going to go to France at all. This is what the French government were told a few weeks ago, apparently.
Finally, don’t make this political!? Too fucking late mate.
If he was any good as a CEO he’d have a senior role at his in laws company that has a market cap of $75bn as he’d be able to generate billions for them of extra revenue. The fact that he doesn’t speaks volumes about his ability.