JANET STREET-PORTER: Rishi’s D-Day catastrophe was top of unhealthy manners
If you’re invited to a boring party after a long day at work, sneaking off early is a bit cheeky, but understandable.
How many of us have pretended to head for the toilet but sidled towards the back door, hoping we won’t be spotted?
But if you’re the bloke representing the UK at a historic event and the world’s press are in attendance, things are very different.
You can’t just disappear two-thirds of the way through because your poll ratings are tanking and your macho pride can’t cope with the prospect of defeat on July 4th.
Rishi Sunak’s decision to leave the D-Day celebrations early was a mega-disaster. It reveals the enormity of his ego, it shows he has appalling manners, and it proves his closest advisors are woefully out of touch with what the public care about.
Answering questions from broadcasters on a general election campaign visit to Wiltshire today, Mr Sunak said ‘it was a mistake’ for him not to stay in Normandy for the D-Day commemoration events
Mr Sunak’s early departure saw Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron pictured alongside US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
Sir Keir stayed for the international ceremony, during which he met with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky
The young campaign planners in Number 10 probably thought that skipping a ceremony honouring those who saved us from a Nazi invasion 80 years ago was acceptable as the PM had done his duty by attending two events – in Portsmouth on Wednesday, and in France on Thursday morning.
It was a huge mistake. This wasn’t avoiding Dave from Dispatch’s leaving do or Bev from Reception’s Big Birthday. This was honouring a group of veterans who will probably never meet again, a priceless moment in history.
Do young people care about the Second World War as much as my generation? Do twenty and thirty-something political advisors understand how the events on the Normandy beaches helped to save our democracy?
D-Day is engraved on our national DNA – we can’t measure out enough gratitude and respect to the brave soldiers who changed the course of modern history. It’s a moment we must never forget.
By bunking off the final international D-Day ceremony for a pre-recorded interview with ITV’s UK Editor Paul Brand (which won’t even be broadcast till next Wednesday), the Prime Minister revealed appalling manners and a total lack of judgement. It will cost him dearly.
Leaving President Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Schulz, President Biden and President Zelensky behind on a Normandy beach – for a chat with Paul Brand?
Paul is a fine journalist, who regularly shines a light on the most deprived in our society, but he must have been astonished to find he was more important to the Prime Minister than a few moments with those who actually took part in D-Day.
Manners really matter, no matter whether you’re a refuse collector or a Prime Minister.
In a social media post this morning, Mr Sunak admitted ‘it was a mistake not to stay in France longer – and I apologise’
It later emerged that Mr Sunak had given a broadcast interview following his return from Normandy, a clip of which was shared by ITV journalist Paul Brand
The Prime Minister, pictured yesterday with his wife Akshata Murty, is facing a furious backlash over his decision to leave D-Day commemoration events early
Sadly, most politicians (particularly male ones) seem to think the sun shines out of their proverbial backsides and that the universe revolves around them at all times – which is why Sunak chose a telly chat over a historic commemorative ceremony.
And his poor manners are one of the reason why last Tuesday’s Election debate was so ill-tempered and pointless.
What did we learn from this programme, about what life in Britain might be like if they were in charge?
Not much. Sunak and Starmer have the debating skills of a pair of bison, continually talking over each other, ignoring the chair – Julie Etchingham – motoring on with their pre-rehearsed positions like a couple of Daleks, raising their voices at every opportunity to try to gain control.
The verbal trashing was a turn-off for viewers, reflected in the poor ratings (just 4.80 million) against 6.7 million when Boris (then PM) and Corbyn debated in 2017.
In real life, both Sunak and Starmer seem to be decent family men – one might be fabulously rich – but both have moral standards. So why, when it comes to discussing their political views, do they morph into bellowing oafs screaming ‘garbage’ and ‘liar’ at each other.
When I go into a shop or travel on a train, I don’t often see members of the public ranting like this. Maybe outside the pub at chucking out time. But not during the day.
The public seem generally better behaved than politicians: Prime Minister’s Questions might be televised but it makes no difference to the infantile behaviour – MPs equate debate with fake sneering, sniggering and toddler-like booing.
Rishi Sunak was prasied for his performance during Tuesday’s TV debate against Keir Starmer
Keir Starmer debates with Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as ITV hosts the first head-to-head debate of the general election
Instead of these tightly formatted television debates informing us about party positions, they simply add to our disenchantment with politics.
And there’s plenty more to come, with six in total. All are being chaired by women – perhaps broadcasters feel this might improve standards, but there’s no evidence this is true. In fact, research shows that men talk over women three times as much as the other way round.
Because debating is no longer taught at school, we have lost the art of conducting a proper conversation. We are very good at stating our position on any topic, and then ignoring what the other person has to say.
I am guilty as the next person – it’s my way or the wrong way. But I’m not an MP or political leader and there’s no chance of that happening soon.
They can’t debate but they can chuck their toys of out the pram: Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have been throwing gifts at potential voters on a daily basis since the election campaigns got underway.
Pensioners have been offered surprise tax cuts (after I confronted the PM) by the Tories and Labour plan to beautify our cities by building gorgeous Edwardian-style dream homes on newly restored tree lined streets. Each day brings more promises.
Tonight, politicians from seven main parties including Reform, the Greens, Plaid Cymru and the SNP, will fight for airtime in the second debate of the election. Chaos and confusion will be a foregone conclusion. Good manners will be nowhere to be seen.
Seasoned television performers like Penny (Splash!) Mordaunt and Nigel (I’m a Celeb) Farage are reality show veterans who understand how to get screen time. Rishi’s Dunkirk Dash will be used to bash the Tories.
And although the Prime Minister issued a grovelling apology on X (and another a few hours later), saying he did not want politics dragged into the row, the faux pas will not vanish overnight, especially as he proudly announced national service for teenagers only the other week.
Thousands of people made the trip to honour the veterans in France this week, but only one managed to use it for self-promotion. Nigel cleverly managed to get himself photographed on a military vehicle in a golden light, looking very statesmanlike.
Rishi wasn’t unpatriotic to head home early. Just bad mannered. And a bit dumb.
