The 23 June should be designated as Independence Day, and celebrated annually.
- Parliament:
- 2015–17
- Signatures:
- 21,292
- Responded:
- 14 Jul 2016
The petition
If we leave the EU, the UK will be an independent country for the first time since 1974
The government's response
There are no current plans to create another public holiday. Whilst an additional bank holiday may benefit some sectors, the cost to the economy of an additional bank holiday remains considerable.
Over the years there have been various suggestions from the public for new bank holidays, such as a new national day to promote a British identity to reflect the different histories and traditions which vary from country to country. The Government regularly receives requests for additional bank and public holidays to celebrate a variety of occasions. However, there are no current plans to create another permanent public holiday. The current pattern is well established and accepted. Whilst an additional bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy of an additional bank holiday remains considerable.
The most recent assessment following an Impact Assessment (IA) for the additional holiday for the Diamond Jubilee is that a bank holiday (across the UK as a whole) costs employers around £1.2bn.
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Highlighted: the sentence the model picked as the strongest evidence cited.
Debate
Debated in Parliament on 17 Oct 2016. This is shown for context and is not part of the assessment.
Of 12 MPs who spoke in their own right, 0 were for the petition, 10 neutral and 2 against. The government's response: declines.
- For
- Neutral
- Against