Welsh Tory leader calls on Prime Minister to make St David’s Day a bank holiday

Emily Price 

The Leader of the Senedd Conservatives has written an open letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer formally requesting that St David’s Day be made a permanent bank holiday.

Renewing Welsh Conservative calls, Darren Millar wrote: “As the feast day of Wales’s patron saint, St David’s Day is an important occasion for celebration for people in Wales every year, and I believe that recognising this day as a bank holiday would have enormous benefits for our nation, including helping to promote Wales’ unique language, heritage and culture.

“While I was disappointed to note that the Labour Party’s 2019 general election manifesto commitment to establish St David’s Day as a bank holiday was omitted from your 2024 manifesto, you will be aware that the Senedd has expressed its unanimous support for such a move, which would afford Wales the same opportunities as Scotland and Northern Ireland, where their patron saints’ days are already designated as such.

“Given the above, I would request that the UK Government considers this issue as soon as possible.”

Power

The UK Government confirmed earlier this week that there are “no plans” to make St David’s Day a bank holiday despite the Welsh Government saying they want to be given the powers to make it happen.

Rules on bank holidays are not devolved to Wales – they are designated by Westminster.

Despite widespread calls, successive UK Governments have failed to grant Wales the power to establish March 1 as a bank holiday.

The former leader of the Welsh Conservatives Andrew RT Davies previously said he was in favour of making the celebration of Dewi Sant an official holiday.

But the call was rejected in 2022 by the then Secretary of State for Wales David TC Davies.

Mr Davies now works as Mr Millar’s chief of staff.

Patron saint

During the 2019 general election, Labour promised to make four UK-wide bank holidays on the patron saint’s day of each of the home nations.

But the pledge was dropped from the party’s manifesto ahead of the 2024 general election which saw Sir Keir Starmer get the keys to No 10.

The Labour government now says that while an additional permanent bank holiday “may benefit some communities” the cost to the economy is “considerable.”

England and Wales currently have eight bank holidays a year while Scotland has nine and Northern Ireland has 10.

The Scottish Parliament made St Andrew’s Day a bank holiday in 2006 by passing the St Andrew’s Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act.

St Patrick’s Day has been considered a bank holiday in Ireland since 1903.

Tourism

Government estimates show that a single additional bank holiday in the UK could cost the economy around £2.4 billion.

But the Welsh Conservatives say a public holiday on March 1 will boost tourism in Wales.

Darren Millar said: “Making St David’s Day a bank holiday is long overdue. This move will help put Wales on the map, boost tourism, enhance Welsh cultural recognition and will give people a day of reflection to remember what it means to be Welsh, bringing parity with St Andrew’s Day in Scotland and St Patrick’s Day in Northern Ireland.

“So let’s make St David’s Day a bank holiday, to finally and formally recognise the importance of this Welsh day of cultural significance and to celebrate, with food and song, the patron saint of Wales.”

A UK Government spokesperson said: “Wales and celebrations of Welsh culture are hugely important and the UK Government, including No10 and our embassies around the world, will be holding events to mark St David’s Day in the coming week.

“But the current pattern of public and bank holidays is well established and there are no plans to change it. While an additional permanent bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors the cost to the economy is considerable.”