Rishi Sunak’s prioritising of a TV interview instead of attending Normandy events shows this is the end for the British Prime Minister

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets with a British D-Day veteran during the commemorative ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

There are moments in political campaigns when the public says “enough”. Thursday was the day for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Sunak skived off from the big international commemoration of D-Day held at Omaha Beach, in northern France, which honoured the fallen military veterans who died on the beaches of Normandy and to remember the brutal months of long battle afterwards to liberate France and rid the continent of Nazi Germany.

His reason? An ITV political editor says he was filming a pre-recorded interview with its channel.

Sunak has since apologised, but it’s too late.

“After the conclusion of the British event in Normandy, I ­returned back to the UK. On ­reflection, it was a mistake not to stay in France longer – and I apologise,” the Prime Minister said on Friday.

Prime Minister Sunak, Queen Camilla, King Charles III, President of France Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron.

Sunak had earlier attended the poignant British service alongside King Charles and French President Emmanuel Macron at Ver-sur-mer, where Tom Jones sang a pitch perfect I Won’t Crumble With You If You Fall.

But if Sunak’s absence from the later event proves to be ­because of such ill-judgement – instead of something similar to that of the King taking doctor’s advice to rest – no amount of campaigning, pleading, pork barrelling will save his Conservative Party now.

Come July 4 when British voters go to the polls, Sunak will look back and think what on earth was I thinking? How did I misread my priorities?

ITV’s UK editor Paul Brand told News at Ten on Thursday night that the Prime Minister had returned to Britain to conduct an interview.

“Today was the slot they (Sunak’s team) offered us. We don’t know why,” Brand said.

Sunak’s team began briefing that missing the commemoration would not have any diplomatic impact because he would see the world leaders – Macron, Joe Biden, Olaf Scholz – at the G7 summit in Italy next week. But of course Macron will be seething.

Sunak was tone deaf and has missed the point.

The service was to honour those who died for freedoms, and acknowledge those wartime veterans still alive – perhaps the last time this will happen because of their age – and not to have a chat on the sidelines.

Ordinarily, it could have been British Labour leader Keir Starmer under attack for releasing a video that used the veterans and their big day as a political message, but Sunak’s absence has ­utterly overshadowed that questionable decision.

Polling over the past few days shows the rebel Reform UK party, led by Brexiteer Nigel Farage, is neck and neck with the Tories in terms of popularity.

If Sunak’s absence is indeed ­indefensible, the fears that the Conservatives face an existential threat may well eventuate.

For Sunak crumbled, and with him goes respect, and votes.