UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak refuted reports that he will resign before the July 4 general election on Monday, as criticism of his early departure from D-Day memorial activities continued.
Following outcry from veterans’ groups, the Conservative leader offered an apology for declining to join other world leaders at an event in northern France commemorating the 80th anniversary of the invasion.
His choice to film a television interview instead, which drew condemnation from his own colleagues, was the latest gaffe in the campaign trial for the election.
Sunak, who surveys suggest will lead the Tories to a humiliating defeat to the main opposition Labour party, remained defiant. “People are gonna say what they’re gonna say,” he stated.
He cautioned against viewing the election results as a foregone conclusion, noting that he has previously overcome difficulties, most notably an internal Tory leadership defeat to Liz Truss in 2022.
“The reality is I’m not going to stop going, I’m not going to stop fighting for people’s votes, I’m not going to stop fighting for the future of our country,” he stated during a campaign visit.
Sunak had until January next year at the most to call a general election, but he chose to do it sooner as inflation fell, indicating a recovery in the country’s ailing economy.
The decision, announced during a downpour in Downing Street, caught his own party off guard, leaving it scrambling to find candidates to run for the 650 parliamentary seats up for grabs.
Other unforced blunders before to the D-Day decision included a campaign stop near the Titanic’s construction site, which led to analogies between his leadership and that of a sinking ship.
Sunak, a 44-year-old former financier who has been prime minister since Truss’ brief time, has also been questioned regarding the accuracy of his repeated comments about Labour’s personal tax proposals.
He will certainly face additional criticism when the Conservatives, who have been in office since 2010, release their formal policy ideas on Tuesday.
Labour will unveil its manifesto on Thursday. Party leader Keir Starmer declared on Monday that there would be “no tax surprises” for workers.