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News

Labour want more bank holidays!?

32 replies

LadyRoseate · 23/04/2017 10:08

Sorry if there's a thread about this already, I can't see one.

WTF? Why is this Labour's idea of some kind of attractive policy to wheel out for an election campaign? Why are they talking about this when there is so much to address about austerity, NHS, education and Europe? I despair.

And obviously JC has no idea what it's like being a working parent who's responsible for sorting out childcare for yet another fecking holiday. I'm self-employed and every bank holiday costs me a day's pay unless I can find childcare. The same will go for a lot of people in the gig/zero-hours economy.

I'm a Labour voter but FFS.

OP posts:

Report

DoIDareDisturbTheUniverse · 23/04/2017 10:11

I thought the same but DP pointed out it's an attempt to gain back votes from the racist 'patriotic' UKIP voters who go rabid over St. George's Day

LadyRoseate · 23/04/2017 10:15

Well that explanation doesn't help much! :o So I'd have to endure yet more financially draining holidays but it's worth it because Labour have got a few extra racists on board.

I mean do they even KNOW who their core supporters are and the point of their existence? - to be on the side of workers?

They're really not doing themselves any favours are they.

OP posts:

littlebillie · 23/04/2017 10:17

Don't worry about the bank holidays your standard of living will be so low that they won't even be enjoyable

allegretto · 23/04/2017 10:18

I like the idea!

FrangiePangie · 23/04/2017 10:20

It's lazy canvassing. Easy to promise something nice rather than tackle the difficult stuff.

LadyRoseate · 23/04/2017 10:21

They're not enjoyable now. It's just a day off school when I can't work and earn money, the kids bicker and if I try to organise an outing they argue because they don't enjoy the same things. It also costs more money if you want to go anywhere/do anything.

Honestly this would cost me several hundred quid (at least) per year. There are huge political arguments over things like energy bills or tax increases costing people similar amounts of money.

I'm wouldn't be on my knees because I earn enough to cover it, but many people don't.

OP posts:

Evergreen777 · 23/04/2017 10:22

I wouldn't mind an extra bank holiday. But St George's day falls between Easter and the two May bank holidays, so if Easter is late we'd have bank holidays three weeks in a row. I'd rather have one in July or September. Or at the end of October to make childcare easier for the half term

HaPPy8 · 23/04/2017 10:22

I think its a good idea. Down time is good for peoples mental health, good for family life. Just because its not good for you, doesn't mean it wouldn't be good for a lot of people. And i say that as someone who also has to work bank holidays.

LadyRoseate · 23/04/2017 10:26

Down time is good for peoples mental health, good for family life.

It can be, but so is being able to work and earn enough money.

OP posts:

CuthbertDibble · 23/04/2017 10:29

The problem with extra bank holidays is that it will reduce the choice of when to take holiday for many people. Current law is that everyone is entitled to 28 days per year, eight of these are bank holidays and you can choose when to take the other 20.

Adding an extra four bank holidays will mean that, unless they increase the statutory holiday entitlement, 12 days will be fixed and you'll only be able to choose 16.

magimedi · 23/04/2017 10:51

Bread & circuses is what came to my mind when I read this news.

(And I have always been a labour voter)

Violetcharlotte · 23/04/2017 10:56

I've always voted Labour but I have to agree that this is silly. There are always many pressing issues going on - I want to hear what politicians are going to do about funding for the NHS, education, social care, homelessness. Bank holidays are not too of the agenda right now!!

I'm actually seriously considering voting Lib Dem in this election. Labour seems so far off the mark right now. They don't arm to really have a grip on who their core supporters are.

TroysMammy · 23/04/2017 11:22

But the additional Bank Holidays wouldn't be on a Monday giving a long weekend for a lot of people. They would be moveable. I would only celebrate St David's Day on 1st March. Anyway it wouldn't justify a day off to wear a daffodil, eat Welsh cakes and laverbread. When I was a child we went to school dressed up in Welsh costume, had a concert and then went home in the afternoon.

What about people who eg are Welsh and live in Scotland? They wouldn't have the day off to celebrate their Patron Saint's D, they would have the day off to celebrate someone else's. Pie in the sky.

TroysMammy · 23/04/2017 11:23

Day

nancy75 · 23/04/2017 11:27

Let's have more days off work, everyone will like that!
It's something to say when you've got nothing else

JellyWitch · 23/04/2017 11:28

Bread and circuses was exactly my thought too. Sad times.

Chipstick10 · 24/04/2017 18:23

Who is it going to help.? Office workers yes, they will get a day off, public sector workers at the local council offices , but not me. The supermarket worker will still have to work

cdtaylornats · 24/04/2017 20:32

More bank holidays, better paternity leave, higher taxes, ban zero hours contract, government contracts only to companies that pay the living wage.

I predict a lot more people on zero hours - just not on contracts.

RortyCrankle · 25/04/2017 16:22

DoIDareDisturbTheUniverse
I thought the same but DP pointed out it's an attempt to gain back votes from the racist 'patriotic' UKIP voters who go rabid over St. George's Day

The same as the Irish who go rabid over St Patrick's Day or the Welsh who go rabid over St David's Day or the Scots who go rabid over St Andrew's Day?

Oh silly me, I forgot, it's only the English who mustn't show any pride in their country. Well tough shit - I wore my St George's Day red rose with pride on Sunday.

cdtaylornats · 25/04/2017 21:13

Everybody gets all 4 holidays? Four more days away from work. Who is going to pay?

MoreProseccoNow · 25/04/2017 21:23

My heart sank when I heard this. I'd rather have extra annual leave than have extra public holidays.

For me, it's a childcare nightmare. We struggle to cover the existing school holidays without adding more.

JC needs to get his policies out the 1970's & in to the 21st century.

thatdearoctopus · 25/04/2017 21:33

it would mean 7 Bank Holidays between the 1st of March and the beginning of June. Crazy.

But more worrying is the fact that Jeremy Corbyn thought this was worth mentioning. I mean, how stupid does he think we are?

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Itisnoteasybeingdifferent · 26/04/2017 06:56

I would like an extra BH in mid summer and autumn.. But having a BH this weekend is crap. The weather is lousy cold and wet. Typical for early May. On top of Easter and Whitsun we don't need three BH's at this time of year.

The problem is that May Day holds relegious significance for Labour.

ForalltheSaints · 26/04/2017 19:26

I would like a bank holiday in November myself, not more in the early part of the year. November 11th would be my choice, to remember those who have died in war.

Anyway the Labour proposal will not happen as they are not going to get a majority.

Evergreen777 · 26/04/2017 20:02

A November one would be great for getting ahead on Christmas shopping. It could even be good for the economy of everyone went out spending money (in between remembrance ceremonies of course)

Realise that's not so great for those who work in retail. But would at least split the holidays up a bit round the year.

Labour aren't going to win but the Tories have been known to hijack popular policies of theirs in the past (living wage, etc) so you never know

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