To think that all UK countries should have the same number of public holidays?

Nobody heard of the Barnett formula? England gets less spent on its people per head than any other country in the uk and yet per head provides the most tax income. And and the least amount of holidays just to rub it in.
And we are still constantly given grief and told to suck it up. Do you seriously think people in deprived working class towns of England have it better than those in Scotland? At least they can get a free university education, their prescriptions paid for.

. So sorry. I have depression and was just looking to start a conversation.

@HelenaWaiting best to post in Chat and steer clear of AIBU, much safer in future.

Deliberately hurtful? To who, you? I grew up in The Troubles, I'm Northern Irish. My point was that you were jealous of NI having 2 more public holiday days, but didn't think you'd be jealous of the shit we've had to live through. Now you're turning it round to me, trying to make me out like I've said something offensive, when I have actually LIVED through the shootings and the bombings and my friends parents being blown up in the line of duty. Catch yourself on.

Your post was frankly ridiculous.

I'm in NI and I don't get all 10, but my kid does. So it actually just equates to two extra days of paid childcare. I'll swap.

Surely if we are one nation we should enjoy the same number of statutory holidays?

You could say that about every aspect of life in which case there would be no grounds for having devolution. Just make everything the same for everyone and run it all from London. I've think we've been down that path...

The practice of different holidays predates recent devolution by a very long way. Why should every aspect of life be entirely homogenous?

We get 10 public holidays in Ireland. My employer also gives us Good Friday as an additional day off plus I get 32 days annual leave!

Each country gets to set its own public holidays. Even before devolution.

No they don’t The Welsh Parliament needs Westminster’s permission to makes David’s day a public holiday. And Westminster has always refused, citing amongst other reasons people commuting back and forth across the Severn bridge.

You do realise that bank holidays in Scotland aren't the same as in England? So, e.g. my nephews and niece will at school on the following 'bank holidays': Good Friday
Spring Bank Holiday
St Andrews Day
There are local holidays but since as many people have pointed out some workers in Scotland have to take English Bank Holidays and the local holidays vary from area to area there isn't the same collective madness there is on an English Bank Holiday.

The first year I was in England for Easter I was really shocked at how many people kept asking me 'what are you doing for Easter', I had no idea it was a big holiday. In Scotland you eat some chocolate for breakfast on Easter Sunday and that's it.

Group together and advocate for yourselves...yes I'm looking at you, England!

Each country gets to set its own public holidays. Even before devolution.

I think England has a low number compared to many other countries across Europe, and I would welcome one more - and I'd put it in the autumn, as that school term is the longest and could do with it.

But I remember the large amount of complaining when we get extras for major royal events. It's all too hostile to the economy, and that seems to be the prevailing view.

I don't think that the difference between 8 and 9 public holidays really makes any difference to the state of the economy. But I think it does show a nose-to-the-grindstone ethic, and if that somewhat joyless, utilitarian view is the one that resonates most, then fair enough (I was always more of a cavalier than a roundhead!)

Where I live ( In England) all our schools close on Whit Friday and nurseries only offer a half day.

Even if you don't have kids you need to take a days holiday or WFH as the area closes to traffic from 8am -Midnight so you can't get near your house!!
I had a boss who didn't believe me when I said I need to take that day as A/L and why!

The trouble is that St David’s Day and St George’s day fall in March and April respectively and there are already Easter bank holidays and another couple in May. The problem is not that we have too few public holidays,it’s that they are not sufficiently spread out over the year. It’s ridiculous that there are no public holidays between the end of August and Christmas.

Honestly I think you'd be hard pressed to come up with a thing that the English are sufficiently collectively enthusiastic about to warrant marking with an annual public holiday.

Legislation on minimum annual leave already factors in bank holidays too so it wouldn't change much for most workers as new contracts come into effect. Bank Holidays are very bad for the economy too.

Derail ..

Well, there is the Barnett formula which ensures higher level of public spending in Scotland, NI and Wales.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnett_formula#:~:text=The%20Barnett%20formula%20is%20a,Scotland%20and%20Wales%2C%20as%20appropriate.

England ( outside London) bus passes at 67, other nations in the union get them at 60.

Until quite recently we lived in Scotland, just over the border, and the extra spending was obvious in provision of services compared to Northumberland.

No, they shouldn't. The constituent nations of the UK all have very different histories, and it's right that these be celebrated in their public holidays. In Germany every single state has different public holidays that reflect their history - in fact some cities even have public holidays that just apply to that city (which can be a bit weird if you live just outside the city boundary). The same in the US. Local history should be celebrated, not steamrollered into uniformity.

Well… if someone makes a ridiculously ignorant + outlandish MN post what do you think is going to happen? I wouldn’t say that people rightly calling OP out for thinking that England is somehow ‘discriminated’ against is a pile on

I think we should all get 2nd Jan - another day's grace before you have to accept the Christmas holidays are over and emerge into cold, dark January.

One between August and Christmas would also be nice; perhaps Remembrance Day would be a good occasion to mark - 11th November or if 11 November falls on the weekend, the Monday after it.

Jesus, can people lay off the OP? What a foul pile on. Poor you, OP.

Discrimination was the wrong word but the poster is getting a hard time. I totally get what she was trying to say and I don't think any offence was intended at all. I'm in Ireland and we now have a new bank holiday for St Brigids day on the first Monday in February (this was only our second year of it) and it's fab as everyone is just over the misery of January then we have st Patrick's day in March and then Easter so a bank holiday every month at the start of the year.

I'm sorry you're going through some stuff right now op, it sounds like you're having a tough time and I really hope things improve for you soon 💐

There's a lot of strong feelings involved, and using the word discrimination towards England is very emotive for a lot of people. It probably is better to hide the thread.

Well those are the Welsh bank holidays as well.

My team are spread between Scotland and Wales, no one in England. Guess who's bank holidays we have to take... English...

Yup. And Berlin gets International Women's Day.

Poor poster is getting a hard time. Some proper point scoring. I'm sure most English employees would like a couple more bank holidays. It's a long slog from August bank holiday till Christmas. Can we sneak one in there.