UK premier denies resignation rumors amid D-Day row

By Mehmet Solmaz

BIRMINGHAM, England (AA) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has denied allegations that he will quit the Conservative Party leadership over continuing criticism for his early departure from a D-Day commemoration event last week in France.

In an interview with the BBC’s Panorama on Monday, Sunak said the “the last thing” he wanted to do was cause anyone “hurt or offense” by leaving the event early.

Sunak on Friday apologized for skipping the full event to travel back to London for a TV interview on the upcoming July 4 general election.

BBC presenter Nick Robinson asked the prime minister how he felt when he looked at a photo of the event that showed other world leaders gathered in Normandy.

Sunak said he never meant to hurt anyone’s feelings and added: “I hope people can find it within their hearts to forgive me.”

“Also look at my actions as prime minister,” he urged, pointing to his efforts “to increase investment in our armed forces, to support our armed forces, but also to ensure that veterans have a minister sitting around the Cabinet table with unprecedented support to make this the best country in the world to be a veteran as a demonstration of how deeply I care about this community and what they’ve done for our country.”

The Conservative leader broke 48 hours of silence to vow he would carry on “until the last day” amid heavy criticisms ahead of the snap election, which he called for on May 23, despite the Conservatives trailing in the polls.

Last Wednesday saw special events in the UK and France to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the name given to the June 6, 1944 invasion of the beaches at Normandy, northern France by troops from the US, Canada, UK, and other countries during World War II.

Each annual D-Day commemoration holds special meaning, especially as the generation of once-young men who stormed the beaches grows smaller each year, leaving their deeds to history.