Rishi Sunak accused of being ‘in hiding’ after disastrous D-Day gaffe | EUROtoday

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Rishi Sunak has been accused of going into hiding after his disastrous choice to snub commemorations for the eightieth anniversary of D-Day.

After a senior minister was compelled to disclaim he’s contemplating quitting earlier than the final election, Labour pointed to the very fact the PM has not confronted the media in additional than 48 hours.

Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer confronted a huddle of political journalists on Sunday as he introduced a deliberate crackdown on delinquent behaviour.

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But Mr Sunak has not taken questions since a clumsy Sky News interview by which he was confronted by veterans who mentioned he had let the nation down. He additionally cancelled a scheduled alternative for reporters to quiz him, with Tory aides blaming time constraints.

A Labour supply instructed The Independent: “The Conservatives’ chaotic campaign is descending further into farce.

“With yet more fantasy economics being floated by the Conservatives this morning, Sunak will surely have to come out of hiding soon and explain how families can afford five more years of this madness.”

Work and pensions secretary Mel Stride was compelled on Sunday morning to disclaim Mr Sunak will give up earlier than 4 July over repeated marketing campaign gaffes.

Mr Stride mentioned the PM will “absolutely” lead the Conservatives into the election.

“There should be no question of anything other than that,” he told Sky News in an extraordinary sign of the electoral crisis facing the Conservatives.

In Mr Sunak’s last media appearance, he was asked about Ken Hay a 98-year-old D-Day veteran who was captured as a prisoner of war.

Mr Hay told Sky News: “What can you say? They are politicians… I don’t have a great regard for politicians.

“He lets the country down, you know. It’s not the representation of how we’re trying to weld things together to keep the peace.”

Asked whether or not Mr Hay was proper, the PM mentioned: “I participated in events in Portsmouth and in France over two days because this is an incredibly important moment for our country to commemorate the sacrifice of all of those and their service.

“It was a real honour and a privilege to meet many veterans and speak to them and their families, hear their stories, express my gratitude to them and build on our record of making sure this is the best country in the world for veterans.”

Mr Sunak has apologised and mentioned it was “a mistake” to go away the commemorations early.

The prime minister skipped out on the worldwide ceremony attended by different world leaders, together with US president Joe Biden and French president Emmanuel Macron, to mark the eightieth anniversary of the Allied landings.

He as an alternative returned to the UK to participate in an ITV interview by which he sought to defend his claims about Labour’s tax plans after criticism from the pinnacle of the Treasury and the UK’s statistics watchdog.

The gaffe has triggered indignation in Tory circles, with basic election candidates claiming the PM is giving Labour a free move.

Even veterans minister Johnny Mercer mentioned the choice to go away the eightieth anniversary occasions early was a “significant mistake”.

And Reform UK chief Nigel Farage has mentioned the blunder exhibits Mr Sunak is “not fit to lead the country”. “He has made the biggest mistake of his political career. If it wasn’t an election campaign, there’d be a leadership challenge against him this week,” he instructed the BBC.

Mr Sunak posted an image on X of himself with enterprise minister Kevin Hollinrake campaigning in Bedale, in his Richmond and Northallerton constituency.