Labour has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after he left the D-Day ceremonies in Normandy early, with accusations that he was trying to convince people he’s not a liar. While Sunak was present for the initial parts of the commemoration on the 80th anniversary of the landings, he was notably absent later on.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron took Sunak’s place, with the latter pictured alongside world leaders like Germany’s Olaf Scholz, the US’s Joe Biden, and France’s Emmanuel Macron. Labour has seized on this opportunity to highlight a picture of Sir Keir Starmer alongside Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
A Labour Party source criticized Sunak’s early departure, stating, “If the prime minister has skipped this afternoon’s D-Day commemorations to try and convince people he’s not a liar, he should just tell the truth.” Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth added, “The prime minister skipping off early from D-Day commemorations to record a television interview where he once again lied through his teeth is both an embarrassment and a total dereliction of duty.”
Reform leader Nigel Farage also weighed in, questioning Sunak’s priorities by flying back to the UK to campaign instead of staying for the international D-Day event. The accusations of Sunak trying to defend himself against being labeled a liar stem from an interview where he denied allegations that Labour wanted to raise taxes by £2,000. The controversy surrounding this issue has sparked a heated debate between political parties and media outlets.