(This story was updated and expanded May 30 at 6 p.m.)
[U].S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has canceled his appearance at Monday’s St. Johnsbury Academy graduation ceremony, citing “an unexpected and unavoidable change in his schedule.”
Sanders, who was slated to give the high school’s commencement speech, will now record remarks to be played to graduates.
“Senator Sanders apologized for this late change in plans to the Class of 2017, their families, and the academy community,” said Phoebe Cobb, a spokeswoman for the academy, in a news release.
Headmaster Tom Lovett said Tuesday that the school invited Sanders to speak before the first of the year. Sanders said in March he could give the speech, according to Lovett, but backed out in mid-April.
“Sanders said he needed to be in Europe for security meetings and environmental summits,” Lovett said.
A Sanders spokesman did not respond to multiple requests seeking what specific scheduling conflict had changed Sanders’ plans. But reporting in the European press suggests he will be in Great Britain and Ireland this weekend promoting his book “Our Revolution: A Future To Believe In.”
Representatives from Sanders’ European publisher, Profile Books, also did not respond to requests seeking details of the tour and whether the Vermont senator would be compensated for his appearances.
Seven Days created a tally of publicly announced stops on the Sanders book tour, which will take place in England and Ireland between Thursday and Sunday. According to the Cambridge News, tickets to see Sanders speak at the Cambridge Union on Friday sold out in a record 38 seconds. Ticket prices for Sanders’ European events ranged from about $16.50 and $45.
Sanders’ visit is scheduled less than a week before England’s potentially pivotal parliamentary elections, where the left-leaning Labour Party is squaring off against the ruling Conservative Party.
While the Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Theresa May, had long been seen as the favorite ahead of the June 8 election, Labour has been surging in recent weeks.
As the race tightens, Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party leader, has been seeking an endorsement from Sanders. Asked by The Guardian if Sanders would hand down an endorsement during his tour through Britain, Corbyn said, “I can’t say. I hope he will. I think he probably will, actually. But we mustn’t predict these things.”
The Guardian has also reported that a number of Sanders’ presidential campaign staffers are organizing on behalf of Corbyn, implementing techniques that proved successful during the U.S. primary process.
According to The Guardian, the organizing includes implementing “technology never before used in a UK general election campaign.” Former Sanders staffers have set up a website to coordinate carpooling on election day and are implementing text messaging and a phone-banking application to increase outreach.
Complicating Sanders’ potential endorsement of Corbyn is the fact that Sanders’ brother Larry is running for Parliament as a Green Party candidate. In his run, Larry Sanders has criticized both Corbyn and May from their left for what he says is their lack of policy details on everything from housing to the environment.
If u feel economics isn’t quite working,but can’t point to how to fix it, watch this w/ @Larry4OxEast & @KateRaworth https://t.co/K9eV7rSuBC
— Cllr Ruthi Brandt (@RuthiBrandt) May 29, 2017
With the St. Johnsbury event off his calendar, Sanders agreed to record a video for the graduates when a replacement headliner could not be found, according to Lovett, the headmaster.
“I thought the kids who had enjoyed his town meeting in March would be disappointed if they didn’t have something from him,” Lovett said. “Our feeling is we are glad to have a video from the senator.”
Although Sanders won’t be giving the St. Johnsbury Academy speech in person, he did give the commencement address at Johnson State College in early May. On Tuesday, Sanders spoke at the graduation of his alma mater, Brooklyn College.
“My message to you is very simple,” he told graduates Tuesday. “Think big, not small, and help us create the nation that we all know we can become.”
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