LONDON: Britain’s opposition Labour party promised on Sunday to introduce four new public holidays if it wins the June snap election, marking the patron saints days of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Leftist leader Jeremy Corbyn said the measure would “give workers the break they deserve” while also uniting the four nations, whose ties have been strained by the vote to leave the European Union.
Corbyn has an uphill battle to beat Prime Minister Theresa May’s centre-right Conservatives in the June 8 vote, with weekend opinion polls putting Labour between 11 and 25 points behind the ruling party.
May wants a mandate for the Brexit negotiations, which will start after the election, but Labour is emphasising the government’s record of spending cuts.
“These holidays will be a chance for workers to spend time with their families, in their communities and with their friends,” Corbyn said.
“But they will also be a chance to celebrate the national cultures of our proud nations.”
The holidays would be held on the days of St George — patron saint of England — St Andrew (Scotland), St David (Wales) and St Patrick (Northern Ireland).
Last year’s Brexit vote has renewed calls by Scottish nationalists for a second referendum on independence, and, in Northern Ireland, by raising the prospect of a border with EU member Ireland, has also sparked concern about the province’s fragile peace.
Britain currently has eight public holidays each year, compared with an average of 12 in the G20 of developed nations, the Labour party said.
Meanwhile, The leader of Britain’s main opposition Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn said on Sunday he could suspend British involvement in air strikes against Syria if he was elected prime minister at a June 8 election.
The veteran peace campaigner, whose Labour Party is around 20 points behind the ruling Conservatives in opinion polls, set out his position on a range of security and foreign policies, saying he would look again at Britain’s nuclear deterrent and was against using nuclear weapons.
His comments were pounced upon by the Conservatives, who said that Corbyn posed a threat to British security and was the best reason “for sticking with the strong leadership of (Prime Minister) Theresa May”. — AFP
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