United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has dismissed rumours about his potential resignation ahead of the July 4 general election.
The speculation follows criticism over his early departure from D-Day commemoration events, a decision that has drawn ire from veterans’ groups and even some within his own party.
Sunak, facing backlash for skipping the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in northern France to record a television interview, offered an apology but remained defiant.
“People are gonna say what they’re gonna say,” he remarked, addressing the controversy.
Despite opinion polls suggesting a likely defeat for the Conservative Party against the main opposition Labour Party, Sunak remains resolute.
“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 stop.
Sunak, who has been Prime Minister since October 2022 following Liz Truss’s short tenure, announced the early election amid signs of economic recovery, with inflation rates beginning to slow.
The announcement, made unexpectedly in a Downing Street downpour, caught his party off guard, leaving them scrambling to find candidates for the 650 parliamentary seats.
In addition to the D-Day commemoration misstep, Sunak has faced other campaign blunders, including a visit to a location near where the Titanic was built, leading to unflattering comparisons of his leadership to a sinking ship.
Questions have also been raised about the accuracy of his claims regarding Labour’s tax plans.
Labour, led by Keir Starmer, is set to launch its manifesto on Thursday, promising “no tax surprises” for working people.
Meanwhile, the smaller opposition Liberal Democrats released their 116-page manifesto on Monday, sharply criticizing the Conservative government’s record.
“This election is our chance to win the change our country desperately needs… These Conservatives have got to go,” wrote Lib Dem leader Ed Davey, branding the Tories as “out of touch” with ordinary people.
The Lib Dems, projected to become the third-largest party post-election, advocate for increased investment in renewable energy, a ban on water companies dumping raw sewage, and rebuilding ties with Brussels post-Brexit.
The Liberal Democrats also aim to restore international development spending to 0.7 percent of gross national income, a policy cut to 0.5 percent during the pandemic when Sunak was finance minister.
