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Starmer suggests whole UK – including Wales and Scotland – should get bank holiday if England win Euro 2022

27 Jul 2022 3 minute read
Left, Keir Starmer. Right, England’s Rachel Daly. PA / Danny Lawson.

The whole of the UK – including Wales and Scotland – should get an extra bank holiday if England women’s national football team win in the Euros final, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The Labour leader backed a “day of celebration” for “Brits” if the Lionesses claim victory at a sold-out Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

His request came after Wales were told they could not have a bank holiday on 1 March, St David’s Day, because of the cost to the economy.

England are in the final of Euro 2020 after they beat Sweden, the highest-ranked team in the Uefa Women’s Euro 2022 competition, 4-0 in the semi-final on Tuesday. They will play Germany who beat France 2-1 on Wednesday.

Speaking about calls for a Bank Holiday, Sir Keir told the Mirror: “The whole country will be roaring on the Lionesses in the final on Sunday.

“They have already done us proud, but if they win it will be a truly historic achievement – one that should be marked with a proper day of celebration, where clubs can open and promote access for women and girls.”

Sir Keir was at Tuesday’s match at Bramall Lane, in Sheffield, with his wife Victoria.

‘Bring it home’

However, the UK Government has said while they expected many to cheer on England against Germany, a Bank Holiday would be a “considerable” cost to the economy.

A UK Government spokesperson said: “The Lionesses have done England proud with their fantastic run to the Euro 2022 final.

“The whole country will be roaring them on and hopefully watching a famous victory against Germany on Sunday evening.

“We will certainly be celebrating their success. However, the current pattern of public and bank holidays is well established and while an additional bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy of an additional bank holiday is considerable.”

Conservative former sports minister Tracey Crouch and Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey however also reportedly backed the idea.

Boris Johnson was under pressure to give workers a bank holiday last summer had England’s men’s team won the Euro 2020 championship.

Mr Johnson speaking before the final against Italy, which ended in penalty heartbreak for the team, said granting a bank holiday would be “tempting fate”.

After the match on Tuesday he tweeted: “On to Wembley!

“A fantastic result for captain @leahcwilliamson and the @Lionesses tonight against Sweden.

“Come on England, bring it home.”


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Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 years ago

Leave it out…

Cathy Jones
Cathy Jones
2 years ago

I’ve got some suggestions for Starmer but I don’t think he would like them much…..
He could:
Boil his own head
***K off forever
STFU…forever.
Go and slam his own todge in a drawer
SUPPORT THE STRIKES YOU GOD DAMN SPINELESS LITTLE TWERP! Fffs sake Kier wtf is wrong with you?
Beg Jeremy Corbyn for forgiveness
Beg us all for forgiveness
Change his despicable ways
Publically disavow any established order that harms the people or the planet
Offer Nadine Dorries out for a fight
Just stop. Stop it. No more of ALL that thing he does
Do a little dance

SundanceKid
SundanceKid
2 years ago
Reply to  Cathy Jones

At least Starmer is doing his bit for the Welsh independence movement..

Leigh Richards
Leigh Richards
2 years ago

Sacking shadow ministers for showing solidarity with striking workers and thinking the Welsh and the Scots will want a day off to ‘celebrate’ England winning euro 22 – how out of touch is this buffoon?

hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago
Reply to  Leigh Richards

Was he ever in touch with any sentiment outside his own elitist bubble ?

Mark Hoffer
Mark Hoffer
2 years ago

2 words Keith. Foxtrot Oscar.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 years ago

Who watched the short film about the sheep farmer Wilf Davies? What a cool guy, he had me eating out of his hand, when he anointed the head of that toothless old ewe with green dye I felt so in tune with her, sad and ready for the knackers yard, alone in the pen… I don’t have a tooth in my head and sometimes cry when I eat my toast and marmite, as I have done every morning for years and I look at the same view every day and am content… No wonder it won an award, you can… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Mab Meirion
Leigh Richards
Leigh Richards
2 years ago

Looking at the news headlines this morning – with even the starmer friendy new statesman talking about ‘civil war in labour’ – think its the unionists in uk labour who are ‘crying’ today 😉

Quornby
Quornby
2 years ago

If England won at tiddlywinks it would be rammed down our throat by the London media.

Charles Coombes
Charles Coombes
2 years ago

Whose this Stamer ?

Cathy Jones
Cathy Jones
2 years ago

Oh, what? Do you mean Kiethy? Kiethy Starmer?…. He’s a right wally …and I don’t mean to be rude, but that’s really all you need to know….

hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago

You omitted the “Brit” word that should have been included before “Nats”. Very few of them have the quality of brain cells to justify their own sense of superiority.

Cathy Jones
Cathy Jones
2 years ago

You came here at roughly six a.m. to type that?!

…ah, babby… I don’t know whether to laugh at you or weep for you.

Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
2 years ago

I’m so desperate to get rid of Tories and Starmer is the only hope but whilst I understand his strategy on Union Flags behind him in interviews, he can’t win an election without getting a skipful of votes from some rabid Britnats, I’m done with him now. He sacks a minister for supporting striking workers and now he has demonstrated his non recognition of Wales and Scotland by suggesting we ALL have a bank holiday because England/GB/UK/one size fits all won a tournament. Still the Empire attitude prevails. If ENGLAND win Mr Starmer, ENGLAND can have a bank holiday. It… Read more »

SundanceKid
SundanceKid
2 years ago
Reply to  Fi yn unig

Starmer is Tory-lite and isn’t much of an improvement on the Tories, quite frankly.

He is not our only hope. The only hope is leaving this rotten union.

Gareth
Gareth
2 years ago

This, following the sacking of a MP for supporting the rail workers on a picket line. He is as bad as the Tory’s, who recently overruled our law on the use of temps to break a strike. Labour in Cymru must now see how hopeless the situation for us in this union is, with Starmer trying his best to take Tory votes at our expense, wake up, and stand up for Cymru, dump this union and work for a fairer independent Cymru away from this extreme right wing English nationalist charge, that they are on in England.

SundanceKid
SundanceKid
2 years ago
Reply to  Gareth

Haven’t the UK Labour party recently rejected proposals for further devolution in Wales? They have even voted against Scottish Labour changing their logo!

I wish more people would realise that UK Labour are not the answers to our prayers.

Perhaps, the further the Westminster branch moves away from its’ Cardiff counterpart, the better.

We can only hope that the party in Wales elects a successor to Drakeford, who wakes up and smells the coffee!

Ernie The Smallholder
Ernie The Smallholder
2 years ago
Reply to  SundanceKid

…And if Welsh Labour doesn’t vote for a successor that will defend the interests of Wales ?
Then Labour must pay the same price as they did in Scotland.

We must vote for Plaid Cymru or other pro-independence parties.

The Original Mark
The Original Mark
2 years ago

Keith can suggest he’s a left wing Socialist, but no one cares, no one believes him apart from the BBC

Barry Pandy
Barry Pandy
2 years ago

And the Daily Hate who think everything to the left of Hitler is socialist.

Kiosk
Kiosk
2 years ago

Is your surname Off?

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 years ago

There’s a Starmer waiting in the wings
He’d really like to please us
With a free day off in lieu
But I can think of much better things
I can celebrate than you

Last edited 2 years ago by Mab Meirion
Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
2 years ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

Nice. There’s a song in there somewhere. Maybe calling himself ‘Starman’ would improve his ratings.

Barry Pandy
Barry Pandy
2 years ago

If Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland won any major tournament do you think anyone in Ingerland would suggest having a bank holiday for the whole of the so-called ‘United’ Kingdom? Of course not.

If Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland won the Euros (granted the chances are slim) the English media would barely mention it. After all they wouldn’t want to celebrate anything that dispels the myth of the English master race.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 years ago

Right, I’m off for a medical to see if I’m in danger of a heart attack…from anymore Westminster nonsense ! Pity it’s just warming up on here…

I Humphrys
I Humphrys
2 years ago

Labour = Tory Lite………………very light. Ooh Mr Drakefords blushing again!

One of the two witnesses
One of the two witnesses
2 years ago

No thanks. Keep it. We’ll take our own day

George
George
2 years ago

How has Starmer’s position of “We can have an extra bank holiday if it wins me votes in England” made the UK governments “We don’t want any extra bank holidays” appear more principled?

And why the obsession with ensuring the Brits are cheering on England?

Popsie
2 years ago

Great idea!

Alan Jones
Alan Jones
2 years ago

It just goes on & on doesn’t it, from all angles, politicians, right wing/fascist press via journalists & sketch writers etc.. This dismissive attitude towards both Cymru & Yr Alba always was & still is nauseating & disrespectful, not forgetting the shear ignorance of those who you would expect to have at the very least, a basic background knowledge of both regional & more importantly national differences, choosing instead to lump us all together into this pan England entitiy. In the early days of Yes Cymru, it was often stated that when they finally wake up to the growing attractiveness… Read more »

Rob
Rob
2 years ago

Will there be a UK wide Bank Holiday if Wales win the World Cup in football or rugby?

Powers over Bank Holidays should be devolved in Wales like it is in EVERY OTHER NATION IN THE BRITISH ISLES!!!

The English can set whatever Bank Holiday they see fit.

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
2 years ago

I don’t want a bank holiday celebrating an England win – I want Germany to win. It’s as simple as that.

Ernie The Smallholder
Ernie The Smallholder
2 years ago
Reply to  Steve Duggan

DDR wanted to unite with the Federal Republic.

Wales and Scotland wants to get out of England controlled UK.

Germany has the better political system.

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
2 years ago

So you support a new bank holiday for an England win rather than for the patron Saint of Wales? State you view on the subject mate and not what you think might be the views of others.

SocialistWalesForEver
SocialistWalesForEver
2 years ago

Why is no one discussing a union that doesn’t involve England?

A celtic alliance, we could all have a joint bank holiday to celebrate not being English.

Peter Cuthbert
Peter Cuthbert
2 years ago

Whilst I am not a football person I rather feel that Mr Starmer, as a key figure on the anti-Tory side of the political spectrum, has screwed up twice in the last 24 hours. I had also thought that he was the leader of the party that fitted my political ideals. However, just to check I have had a quick look at WikiPedia: Labour party: Believes in “the enterprise of the market and the rigour of competition” along with “high quality public services […] either owned by the public or accountable to them”. I was surprised to see no mention… Read more »

Marc
Marc
2 years ago

and Yes Cymru get another 1000 members!

Glyn Jones
Glyn Jones
2 years ago

Os ceir un, byddaf i yn gweithio o ran egwyddor. Cymeraf ddydd Owain Glyndŵr yn ŵyl y banc yn gyfnewid.

Llefain
Llefain
2 years ago

So… force us to celebrate England’s win? He thinks it would mollify us against his obvious bias. But really it’s just an insult. Another way to actively imply we are all England really. And then we’d be told we should be grateful for what we’re given, by them. The man is just another Anglo-supremacist, colonialist. The only country that matters in the “UK” is England. Anything done “for” us will only ever be an afterthought to quiet the “separatists”. It can never change. Maths is maths. We do not matter. The only way to actually get a government that will… Read more »

SundanceKid
SundanceKid
2 years ago

This is pretty desperate.

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