Corbyn reiterates plan for four new public holidays

LONDON: Jeremy Corbyn will reiterate his pledge to introduce a new national holiday to mark the patron saints of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

He will tell a union conference on Monday - St George’s Day - that after eight years of “damaging Tory austerity,” Britain’s workers deserve a day off.

In his speech, the Labour leader will also point to the Windrush scandal, claiming that the “sickening Go Home vans” used in 2013 showed that the government’s “patriotic posturing” was a sham.

Under Labour’s proposals, Uk-wide public holidays will be held on St David’s Day (March 1), St Patrick’s Day (March 17), St George’s Day (April 23) and St Andrew’s Day (Nov.30).

With eight public holidays, the UK has the fewest of any G20 or EU country, Corbyn will tell the annual conference of the Communication Workers Union in Bournemouth.

He will say: “If we win the next election, St George’s Day will become a national holiday for Britain’s workers. It will be a day where we can all show our pride and celebrate our country’s tradition of fairness, inclusivity and social justice.

“Eight years of Tory austerity, which Labour will bring to an end, have had a disastrous effect on our vital public services and workers have paid a heavy price in the cost of living and their working lives. We will give our workers four extra days paid holiday.

“The four nations that make up our country are more divided as a result of the damaging and divisive policies of this Conservative government.”

He will add: “We need to end the Conservative’s constant pandering to a rich elite at the top and their attempts to divide the rest of us, creating a ‘hostile environment’ for people who come to contribute to our country.

“So let me say to the Windrush generation and to everyone who has come to this country to make a contribution: You are welcome. You have equal rights and under Labour you will never be treated like secondclass citizens.

“We will never allow people to be divided on the basis of race or religion. Labour’s mission of social justice brings people and our nations together.

“Our values of a fair and inclusive society are our country’s best values, and those shared values will be celebrated by making St George’s Day a national holiday.”