General Election 2017: Labour wants four new bank holidays – including St David's Day
St David’s day could become a Bank Holiday if Labour sweep to power in June’s General Election .
According to Jeremy Corbyn, a Labour government would seek to create four new UK-wide bank holidays on the patron saint’s day of each of the home nations.
Under the plan, it would mean there would be public holidays on St David’s Day (March 1), St Patrick’s Day (March 17), St George’s Day (April 23) and St Andrew’s Day (November 30).
The Labour leader said the move would bring together England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while giving workers a well-deserved break.
“The four nations that make up our great country have rarely been more divided due to the damaging and divisive policies of this Conservative Government,” Mr Corbyn said.
“But where Theresa May divides, Labour will unite our four nations. A Labour government will make St George’s Day – England’s national day and Shakespeare’s birthday – a public holiday, along with St David’s Day, St Andrew’s Day and St Patrick’s Day.
“And we will ask for the support of the governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland so that the same four holidays can be enjoyed across the United Kingdom.”
This is not the first time attempts have been made to turn March 1 into a bank holiday however.
In 2013, First Minister Carwyn Jones wrote to the then Secretary of State, David Jones, seeking legislative competence to make Wales’ national day a bank holiday.
But according to the Welsh Government, these attempts were rebuffed.
The Welsh Conservatives, Plaid Cymru and Welsh Liberal Democrats had all made the additional Bank Holiday a commitment in their 2011 Welsh Assembly election manifestos.
Plaid also launched a petition in 2015, attempting to gather more momentum for the campaign.
Mr Corbyn added: “These holidays will be a chance for workers to spend time with their families, in their communities and with their friends.
“But they will also be a chance to celebrate the national cultures of our proud nations.”
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