Sunak's D-Day Clanger

Rishi Sunak's spectacular mishandling of the D-Day commemorations have been nothing less than catastrophic for the Tories. What has happened owes less to the successful unfolding of Operation Overlord on the beaches 80 years ago. Instead it reminds one of Operation Dynamo, the hasty, chaotic evacuation of British, Belgian, and French troops from Dunkirk four years previously. Except that salvaged a huge allied army from the jaws of defeat. For Sunak, his mistake - easily the equal of Boris Johnson's party gate or Liz Truss tanking the economy - will not have any upside for the beleaguered forces of the Conservative Party. It does instead make their coming defeat all the more total and final.

The popular legitimacy of the British state has declined in recent years, exemplified by the relatively muted popular reaction to the death of the Queen and King Charles's coronation. But the Second World War and the role Britain played in the defeat of the Nazis remains a source of pride and nostalgia, particularly for the post-war generation who grew up in its shadow. They learned about the hardships and tragedies straight from their parents. Most families have relatives that served in the war and, in a lot of cases, that has become part of the background of who they are. Even if people don't know the ins and outs of the major battles. They appreciate and respect what millions went through, and feel gratitude for the hundreds of thousands of Britons who were killed at home and overseas.

By ducking out of the commemorations early, ostensibly to record an interview with ITV News to deny allegations of lying during Tuesday night's leaders' debate is a double thumbing of the nose to official ritual and the sacrifices made by those who did not come home. If this was not the middle of the election, in terms of the mores and propriety of bourgeois politics it would be a resigning matter. Especially so now it has emerged that Sunak had to be persuaded by Emmanuel Macron to attend in the first place.

What the hell has happened? For Nigel Farage, Sunak "doesn't care about our culture" (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). This dog whistling doesn't wash. Rather, Sunak's clanger has its roots in his class politics. For one, this place was talking about his lack of nous before it was fashionable. It might be that Sunak is a singly incompetent guy, but this is inseparable from his political programme. Which, baldly put, is to offer absolutely nothing. It was evident from his first day in office, and since then all of his policies have been punitive culture war rubbish. This is about trying to manage people's expectations by offering nothing, so they in turn won't make future demands on the state. Pulling off the class politics of not doing anything requires skill, and that's something Sunak obviously lacks.

This is compounded by what is becoming the worst Tory election campaign ever. Even worse than Theresa May's 2017 debacle which, you'll remember, still managed to get her over the line as the largest party. Sunak's challenge - to keep together a rump from which some sort of recovery might be staged - was rendered almost impossible by Farage's return. And so, he's done what so many of his boss class fellows rail against: he's quietly quit. This checking out is evident from the half-arsed round of apology interviews. With him looking under threat in his own nominally super safe seat, who can blame him if his vista is filled not by the Downing Street dining table but a golden horizon of silhouetted palm trees and sun kissed beaches? Life as a moneybags venture capitalist hanging out in Silicon Valley must seem so much simpler and alluring than the dross of British politics.

It's all over. All Labour need do is sit back, and perhaps have a bit of fun speculating what terrible blunder Sunak will commit next.

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