RISHI Sunak will lead the Tories into the election despite his calamitous D-Day blunder, a Cabinet Minister insisted today.
The PM made an early exit from Normandy last week, opting to miss a second international ceremony in order to continue campaigning.
Welfare Secretary Mel Stride was forced to hit back at a suggestion that he will ‘step aside’ as leader before July 4.
But the Tories are now struggling to move the agenda on from the D-Day catastrophe despite announcing a major welfare crackdown today.
The Tories have struggled to fend off criticism after the PM missed an international event in France to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings.
Ex-PM David Cameron was forced to stand in for him, taking his place next to US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
READ MORE POLITICS
Mr Stride was asked on Sky News’ Sunday Morning show: “Is he going to lead you into this election?” Stride: “Absolutely and there should be no question about that.”
The backing for Sunak comes as the Tories have been 20 points behind Labour in the polls and Nigel Farage’s Reform Party could soon overtake the Tories.
Mr Stride added that the Prime Minister is a “deeply patriotic person”.
He said: “He will be feeling this personally very deeply because he’s a deeply patriotic person, and he will be deeply uncomfortable.”
The PM attended the British commemorations in France but missed the international event.
The Tories have been at pains to put patriotism at the heart of their campaign.
They have committed to 2.5 per cent of GDP for defence spending by 2030 and want to introduce a National Service for young people if elected.
This morning Nigel Farage doubled down on claims that Mr Sunak’s early exit shows he is “unpatriotic” and doesn’t understand “our culture”.
The Reform Chief faced backlash for the comment – with some calling it a “racist dog whistle”.
But a defiant Mr Farage hit back saying it referred to the PM being so rich he doesn’t understand what matters to ordinairy people.
He said: “The PM should’ve known in his heart that it was right to be there.
“The vast majority of people in Britain felt this commemoration was important.
“Forty per cent of our contribution in WWI and WWII came from the Commonwealth.
“He is utterly disconnected by class and by privilege from how the ordinary folk of this country.
“He revealed that spectacularly when he left Normandy early.”
