Labour to press ahead with public holiday plans

Labour will press ahead with plans to introduce new national holidays to mark the patron saints of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, if it wins the next general election, party leader Jeremy Corbyn is to announce.

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

Labour will ask for the support of the governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland so the same four holidays can be enjoyed across the United Kingdom.

Under Labour’s proposals,

“We will give our workers four extra days paid holiday”

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 (November 30).

With eight public holidays, the UK has the fewest of any G20 or EU country, Mr 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.”

Mr Corbyn said the Windrush scandal and the “sickening Go Home vans” showed that the Government’s “patriotic posturing” was a “sham”.

Jeremy Corbyn says workers have paid a heavy price