Brexiteer MP complains lack of support from government for Brexit bank holiday

Peter Bone in the House of Commons. Photograph: Parliament TV. - Credit: Archant

A Tory Brexiteer MP has fumed that the government has not shown more support for his proposals for a Brexit bank holiday every June.

Peter Bone’s June Bank Holiday (Creation) Bill passed its first hurdle in the House of Commons, with the second hearing expected on June 26th, the day Bone proposes the holiday takes place.

Currently there are eight bank holidays a year in England and Wales, with nine in Scotland, and 10 in Northern Ireland, with Bone claiming another will boost workers’ productivity.

Explaining his proposals, he asked: “Why do we not we celebrate our United Kingdom? We do not have a day to do so.

“Many countries throughout the world celebrate their national day with a public holiday. For example, France has Bastille Day, Canada has Canada Day, Sweden has the National Day of Sweden, and the United States, of course, has Independence Day. “However, there is no day in the year on which we celebrate the Union of our four great nations as one United Kingdom. I believe that that should be corrected, and that the people of this country should be able to come together and rejoice as one. “I do not believe that there is anyone in our great United Kingdom who does not support either the monarchy, the referendum, our public services, or the Union — surely everyone supports at least one of them”.


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The date was chosen as one of the closest to the June 23rd date that the UK voted to leave the EU, and has been given the name “United Kingdom Day” by the Wellingborough MP.

But without government backing it is unlikely come into effect, leading the Brexiteer to complain about the lack of support, claiming Boris Johnson’s government had been “quite sniffy”.

“This has rather surprised and disappointed me. I can understand the former government having reservations, as they always saw the UK leaving the EU as a duty, not an opportunity.

“Whereas this government wholeheartedly believes in it. So my question to them would be why not mark this great democratic event?”

He said the Remainers that did not support it “can always work on United Kingdom Day”.