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UK PM Sunak: I have not considered resigning
"No, of course not," Sunak told broadcasters on Monday when asked if it had crossed his mind to quit.
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United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds a Q&A session on May, 23, 2024, with employees at a West William distribution center in Ilkeston as part of a campaign event. The Conservative Party leader announced on May 22, 2024, that the UK election would be held on July 4, catching many potential candidates off guard. (Pool via Reuters/Henry Nicholls)
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ritish Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he had not considered resigning following mistakes in his election campaign, including a decision to leave D-Day commemorations early last week which prompted him to issue a public apology.
"No, of course not," Sunak told broadcasters on Monday when asked if it had crossed his mind to quit.
"I am energised about the vision we are putting forward for the country. This campaign is not even half way through yet."
The Conservative leader issued an apology after outrage from veterans' groups that he declined to join other world leaders at an event in northern France to mark the 80th anniversary of the invasion.
His decision to instead record a television interview, which also prompted criticism from his own colleagues, was the latest misstep on the campaign trial for the vote.
But Sunak, whom opinion polls predict will lead the Tories to a shuddering defeat to the main opposition Labour party, was defiant. "People are gonna say what they're gonna say," he said.
He warned against thinking the election result was a foregone conclusion, and said he had battled back from adversity before, notably after an internal Tory leadership defeat to Liz Truss in 2022.
Sunak had until January next year at the latest to call a general election but decided to do so early as inflation slowed, indicating a turnaround in the parlous state of the country's economy.
The announcement -- made during a downpour in Downing Street -- took his own party by surprise, sending it scrabbling to find candidates to stand in the 650 parliamentary seats up for grabs.
Other unforced errors before the D-Day decision included a campaign stop near where the Titanic was built, prompting comparisons of his leadership to the captain of a sinking ship.
Sunak, a 44-year-old former financier who has been prime minister since Truss's short-lived tenure, has also faced questions about the veracity of his repeated claims about Labour's personal tax plans.
He will likely face further scrutiny as the Tories, in power since 2010, publish their formal policy proposals on Tuesday.
Labour launches its manifesto on Thursday. Party leader Keir Starmer on Monday said there would be "no tax surprises" in it for working people.
