Brexiteer calls for bank holiday to be moved for June 23 ‘independence day’
Brexiteer former MEP Patrick O'Flynn has called for a national holiday on June 23. Picture: Joe Giddens/PA Archive/PA Images - Credit: PA Archive/PA Images
A former UKIP spokesman has endorsed the idea of a national holiday to celebrate what Leave supporters are describing as 'independence day'.
Journalist and former MEP Patrick O'Flynn - who defected to the Social Democratic Party in 2018 - called for June 23 to become a bank holiday after a Twitter poll proved popular.
He retweeted a poll, which asked if there should be a bank holiday marking the UK's departure, adding: "My feeling is that June 23rd should become our annual Independence Day bank holiday (or the Mon after it should in years when that date falls on a Sat or Sun). Scrap the late spring bank holiday at the end of May if need be."
The poll was started by Twitter user @GavinBrexit and garnered 91% positive replies to the question: "Should we have [a] bank holiday for our departure from the sinking EU?"
Despite O'Flynn's suggestion of moving the end of May bank holiday, some replies suggested scrapping the May 1 holiday, described by one commenter as "a commie holiday".
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O'Flynn left UKIP in protest at far-right activist Tommy Robinson being appointed an adviser to party leader Gerard Batten.
In 2019, he stood as the SDP candidate in the Peterborough by-election, securing 0.4% of the vote with 135 votes.
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