Starmer signals openness to holiday if England win World Cup

LONDON – Outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signalled he is considering an extra public holiday if England win football’s World Cup later in July.

“On the question of a bank holiday, I don’t want to jinx it, but ask me again if we get to the final,” the outgoing prime minister told reporters at the NATO summit in Turkey.

Officials confirmed the premier plans to grant the holiday.

England are due to play Norway in the quarter-finals on July 11 after seeing off Mexico on July 5 in the previous round.

The final is due to be held on July 19, which could be Starmer’s last full day in office after he quit in June, paving the way for former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to succeed him.

While there are frequent calls for extra bank holidays in England, which has only eight a year compared to the European Union average of 12.8, governments have cited the economic hit for not doing so.

Still, the House of Commons Library puts that at £2.4 billion (S$4.2 billion), a drop in the ocean compared to the Britain’s £2.8 trillion gross domestic product.

Extra bank holidays – such as the coronation in 2023 and Queen Elizabeth II’s death the previous year – have previously had an effect on monthly GDP figures. However, activity has briskly bounced back the following month.

Research suggests the drag from bank holidays has become less pronounced over time and the impact of many businesses shutting is also partially offset by stronger spending in areas such as tourism and hospitality.

Nominations for the Labour leadership contest open on July 9, and Burnham is so far the only declared candidate. If he remains unopposed, he will become Labour leader on July 17 and is due to become premier on July 20, which is a Monday – the day of the week British bank holidays are usually held.

The last time England played in a World Cup final was when they won in 1966. Scotland was awarded a bank holiday by its devolved government for merely qualifying, though it had been decades since they last did so. Scotland did not progress through the group stages.

Starmer – a lifelong football fan – said he had been inundated with messages since England’s match against Mexico with requests to challenge a red card awarded against one of England’s defenders, after Donald Trump controversially did so with one of the US players.

“I hasten to add, I haven’t attempted to do that,” Starmer said.

That match against Mexico was “one of the best England performances I’ve ever seen. I think in terms of strength and resilience, and across the squad, across the team as well”, Starmer said. BLOOMBERG