Just months after she was rumoured to be planning to take the Prime Minister’s job, Penny Mordaunt has slammed Rishi Sunak for his decision to return home early from the D-Day event. Is the Tory rift deepening?
Tory Rift Deepens
A Tory rift has only gotten worse after the Prime Minister received backlash for heading home early on the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
World Leaders Meet for D-Day Anniversary
World leaders, including US President Joe Biden and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, met in France to commemorate war veterans from allied countries.
Sunak’s Controversial Decision
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met with the world leaders in Normandy for the first part of the event, although made the controversial decision to head home early.
Leaders Continue to Omaha
While President Biden, Sir Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron headed to Omaha Beach for the second part of the event, Sunak jetted back to the UK.
Sunak’s Global Backlash
After receiving considerable backlash from politicians, the press and even war veterans themselves, Sunak is now facing backlash from within his own political ranks.
Tory Minister Criticises Prime Minister
One Tory Minister, Penny Mordaunt, was openly critical of Sunak’s decision during the second TV debate of the election, showing discontent within the Party.
Sunak’s Decision “Completely Wrong”
The leader of the House of Commons admitted that the Prime Minister’s decision to leave D-Day celebrations early was “completely wrong”.
Prime Minister “Rightly Apologised”
Mordaunt claimed that the Prime Minister had “rightly apologised” for his mistake, insisting that the war veterans deserve to feel “completely treasured.”
Mordaunt’s Eye on Prime Minister Role
The wounds on display in the Tory Party have only deepened with this decision from Sunak, with Mordaunt being known to have one eye on his job for months.
Sunak Remains Prime Minister After Scare
Before the election announcement, rumours circulated that a number of Tory MPs were ready to oust Sunak, replacing him with Mordaunt, although Sunak managed to take hold of the wheel at least for another couple of months.
Sunak’s Apology
Sunak has since apologised for his lack of judgment on the 80th anniversary of D-Day, although many wonder how a Prime Minister can make such an ill-judged decision in the first place.
“We Owe You Everything”
After insisting on social media, “we owe you (veterans) everything” for the sacrifices they made, Sunak now finds himself issuing an apology for not dedicating his time to pay respects.
Sunak Opens Apology
Sunak’s apology claimed, “Having participated in all the British events with British veterans, I returned home before the international leaders event later in the day.”
“Don’t Politicise This”
“On reflection, that was a mistake and I apologise. I think it’s important, though, given the enormity of the sacrifice made, that we don’t politicise this,” Sunak continued.
Election Is Sunak’s Main Concern
Sunak’s urge for the public not to politicise his actions shows his main concern is for the election results on July 4th.
Sunak’s Fears of Potential Wipeout
Sunak flew home to continue his campaign for the Conservatives, which faces a potential wipeout in the general election.
Surprise Party Piling on Pressure
Recent polls have shown that the Prime Minister is under huge pressure from Labour, who sit pretty at the top with 40% of the vote, and another surprise Party.
Reform UK’s Rise
Right-wing Party Reform UK now sit just 2 percentage points behind the Tories after it announced the return of a controversial political figure.
The Farage Effect
Former Brexit Party and UKIP leader Nigel Farage announced he would be taking over as Reform leader, already making an effect on voters as they flood towards Reform.
Pressure From Farage
Factors like pressure from Farage explain why Sunak felt the need to return home early and campaign, although it looks like he’s done more harm for his reelection chances than good.
The post Tory Infighting Heats up as Mordaunt Condemns Sunak’s D-Day Decision first appeared on Now Buzz.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Alexandros Michailidis.