Extra bank holiday would promote ‘national identity’
A new bank holiday should be introduced in November to help create a stronger sense of national belonging.
The proposal comes from the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr), a leading thinktank.
Establishing a national day to follow Remembrance Sunday would serve as a ‘thank you’ for community heroes and as an ‘ask’ for people to give back to their communities, the ippr said.
Kate Stanley, ippr director of research, said: “We need a day when people ‘give something back’ to their communities and celebrate the diversity and pluralism of modern Britain. Awarding civic honours on a single national day would be a national ‘thank you’ for the many thousands of citizens who go out of their way to help others.”
However, Neil Carberry, head of employment policy at the CBI, countered by saying that workers’ holiday entitlement is already set to rise from 20 to 28 days and that an additional day off could deprive the economy of some £6 billion in lost productivity.
Mr Carberry said: “The idea of celebrating national heroes is a positive one, but there is no reason this couldn’t be done on an existing bank holiday. Statutory holiday entitlement is being increased from 20 to 28 days over the next two years, which will be a big improvement for many workers but comes at a substantial cost to firms. Offering staff an extra bank holiday would cost the economy up to six billion pounds on top.”