Rishi Sunak’s D-day blunder and what it could mean for the UK election

Rishi Sunak's election campaign seemed to be on shaky ground when a crucial moment arrived. The UK's prime minister, visibly hurt, confessed that he had made a blunder by not taking part in the international commemoration of the Normandy landings, also known as D-day, which was attended by Joe Biden and other prominent global leaders at the American cemetery located off Omaha beach.

However, he returned to the other side of the Channel earlier than planned in order to film a TV interview that won't be aired until next week.

The interviewer asked Sunak if Ken Hay was accurate in claiming that he disappointed the country when those brave men had given up everything, while he couldn't sacrifice an entire afternoon. At that moment, Sunak's eyes turned red and his voice sounded weak, making it clear that his efforts to promote national security were failing on their own.

He put forth a feeble argument that "the schedule for these occasions was established several weeks in advance," prior to his announcement of the election.

The invasion of Normandy, also known as D-day, which was carried out by the air and sea forces of allied nations on 6th June 1944, holds a significant place in British history and is considered a crucial event that contributed towards the triumph of the six-year-long battle against Nazi Germany during World War II.

Different nations have different interpretations of the landings. For the Americans, it signifies the gruesome fight to seize Omaha beach. For France, it marks the commencement of freedom. Meanwhile, several other countries, particularly Canada, contributed considerably to a massive military campaign that consisted of over 150,000 troops.

It is customary for important figures such as monarchs, heads of state, and government leaders to participate in ceremonies held every five years to honor those who gave their lives, the efforts made to attain freedom in Europe, and to learn from the experiences. These events are held on a grand scale.

During an event that Sunak did not attend, Biden spoke while Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy was in attendance. Biden vowed to maintain military support for Kyiv in their fight against the Russian invasion. He strongly stated that it was absolutely unacceptable to give in to bullies or authoritarian leaders.

It was a deeply emotional time during the 80th anniversary as there are hardly any surviving soldiers, with the youngest being a couple of years shy of 100. Despite this, a small group of veterans, many in wheelchairs, were able to attend the ceremony in northern France, although their numbers were only a tenth of what they were five years ago. The media outlets conducted respectful interviews with the veterans and provided over 48 hours of coverage. In addition, the political campaigning was briefly halted during this poignant occasion.

Sunak was present during the British celebrations with King Charles in Portsmouth and Normandy on the morning of June 6th, but he did not attend the international event alongside Biden and other leaders a few hours later. Photos of Biden with Macron, Scholz, and Cameron showed that Sunak was not present, and the UK foreign secretary filled in for him.

In the meantime, Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour party and a potential winner of the election, was present at the event. He was seen alongside Zelenskiy, looking very much like a future prime minister.

On Thursday evening, when people saw pictures of Sunak not being present, Conservatives, who tend to support the UK's military, felt upset. A conservative commentator named Tim Montgomerie expressed his disappointment on a BBC talk show, saying that he wanted to bury his head in his hands. He found it difficult to believe that Sunak gave up the chance to attend an international tribute ceremony for a TV interview. Montgomerie believed that Sunak's decision was wrong and poorly thought out.

Sunak started the election campaign in late May with a major disadvantage of being 20 percentage points behind in the polls, which suggested a significant loss. His plan was to make a comeback by rebranding himself as a traditional conservative. One of his initial, unexpected actions was to pledge to bring back a modernized version of national service, which was done away with in 1960. The proposed service would require 18-year-olds to undergo military training or serve their community for a year.

The Labour Party was pleasantly surprised by the opportunity that came their way. The Conservatives have frequently criticized Starmer's party for their leniency on national security matters. However, they were able to highlight the disparity between Sunak's words and the actual situation. John Healey, the spokesperson for Labour on defense matters, pointed out that the prime minister has advocated for the idea of mandatory national service for young people. In light of this, what kind of message does it send that he himself was not able to handle even a single afternoon of it?