May Day Bank Holiday - or move to the autumn

[onimolap]

SKY is reporting that MPs are considering abolishing the May Day Bank Holiday and having a new one in autumn instead, thus spreading the public holidays out across the year.

Unions (nfd) are calling for retention, and creation of a new additional autumn Bank Holiday. [Nice as that mit be, could business really afford it?]

I was curious to know whether MNetters would support the change, or don't mind either way.

One in september would be nice cos the summer weather always seems to improve vastly as soon as the children go back to school.

OYBBK: anything you say based on weather observations has to be taken seriously!

Weren't bank holidays made public holidays on those days for a actual reason though? I mean i don't think someone just decided to choose a random Monday in the year and make it a holiday?

Wouldn't having an Autumn bank hoilday be doing just that - picking a random Monday and making ait a pubic holiday for no reason?

The August ones are just random, so I think there's precedent both ways.

Trafalgar Day might be something to celebrate in autumn?

I'd rather keep May and add Trafalger day!

So in Scotland we could really just have St. Andrew's Day on 30th November then? Aren't there enough bank holidays though?

Hardly surprising the unions are against it, goes without saying doesn't it!

May Day is International Workers' Day. No wonder the unions and socialists are not happy.

www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/04/may-day-bank-holiday-under-threat

Keep May and add one for Remembrance Day in November.

Don't we get the least Bank Hols in Europe?

Keep International Workers' Day - for sure. And add another one - yep.

Keep May Day - the Tories want to ditch it partly because of its Labour party connotations, but it has historic value of itself anyway. We get the least Bank Hols in Europe so no point ditching this one.

But add in also All Saints Day - which is a national holiday in other parts of Europe. All Saints is 1st November.

Trafalgar Day would be meaningless and end up being totally jingoistic - they might as easily choose Agincourt Day or St Jude's Day (patron st of Lost Causes might do very well for the UK at the moment)? Honestly what do most of us know about Trafalgar and the meaning of it? A day of remembrance for the dead - All Souls, or All Saints - would be more meaningful to everyone.

Adding a Trafalgar Day holiday wouldn't be intended to make up for an inadequate grasp of British history. It is a handy October date.

May Day has been a British Bank Holiday only since 1978. We could only keep this if we either abandoned plans for an autumn one, or thought we could afford another - can we?

Apparently it's the travel industry calling for change - wanting the date spread more evenly through the year.

How about Guy Fawkes night?

My son would love a Trafalgar Day holiday - it's his birthday! I don't see that it would be jingoistsic - France has Bastille Day; the US Independence Day; why not Trafalgar Day to celebrate Lord Nelson? Alternatively, have St George's day and scrap May Day and have Trafalgar Day too. Most countries have their own 'day' - why shouldn't England?

I vote for both.

I agree with scaryteacher St George's and Trafalger day, I like Guy Fawkes too but a) I don't think it appeals to MPs etc too much and b) it's quite late in terms of doing much (cold, dark, wet)

"Don't we get the least Bank Hols in Europe?"

Possibly, but here in Germany for example you get May Day on 1st May-no matter what day of the week & if it falls on a non working day for you, you don´t get a day in lieu.

Also Christmas & Boxing Day, if it´s on a weekend, you´re back to work on the Mon unless you take that day as holiday iyswim.

No, they can't move it. NEED the May Day bank holiday for birthday celebrations!

Keep Mayday bank holiday, as it at least means something to people.

Add Remembrance day / All souls day.