British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has apologized for leaving the D-Day commemorations in France early to return to the election campaign trail, a decision that has been heavily criticized by his political rivals.
Sunak, who is fighting to keep his job in the upcoming July 4 election, admitted that, upon reflection, his decision was a mistake.
While leaders such as U.S. President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the major memorial event at Omaha Beach in Normandy on Thursday, Sunak was noticeably absent. Instead, former Prime Minister David Cameron, who is now the foreign minister, represented the U.K. at the event.
Sunak had earlier attended a ceremony at the British memorial in Normandy alongside King Charles III and surviving World War II veterans, as well as a commemoration in Portsmouth, England, the day before. However, his decision to cut his trip short has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum.
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, who is currently favored to win the election, attended the D-Day event and was pictured meeting Zelenskyy and other leaders. Starmer stated that Sunak will have to answer for his choice to skip the ceremony, emphasizing that for him, there was only one place he was going to be on that day.
Sunak defended his actions, stating that he had stuck to the itinerary laid out for him weeks before he called the election. He also recorded an interview with broadcaster ITV upon his return from France, although he denied that this was the reason he cut his trip short.
The prime minister’s decision has been met with strong criticism from other party leaders, with Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey calling it “a total dereliction of duty” and Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage urging patriotic people who love their country not to vote for Sunak.
As the election campaign continues, Sunak’s decision to leave the D-Day commemorations early is likely to remain a point of contention, with his political rivals using it to question his priorities and commitment to his role as prime minister.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.