English football fans should get a day off to celebrate if the Lionesses bring it home by winning the Euros for the second time in a row, Keir Starmer has been told today.
The Prime Minister is facing renewed calls for a Bank Holiday if the women’s national team beat either German or Spain in Sunday’s final.
The Lionesses tested the nation’s stress levels again last night with an incredible extra-time win over Italy in a semi-final, after scoring second from the end of normal time and extra time.
Last-gasp goals by Michelle Agyemang and Chloe Kelly saw them overcome Italy 2-1 in Geneva.
No10 has been resisting calls to give millions of workers a day off, despite Sir Keir backing calls for a Bank Holiday when they won the Euros in 2022, when he was opposition leader.
Liberal Democrat culture, media and sport spokesman Max Wilkinson said that it was important for the nation to mark ‘the talent, success and historic achievement’ of the team.
‘The Lionesses can make history on Sunday and retain the Euros title they won so memorably three years ago. If they do that, the Prime Minister should give us a public holiday to honour their achievement,’ he said.
‘Retaining the title would be one of our country’s greatest sporting achievements. Fans and patriots across the country deserve the chance to celebrate the talent, success and historic achievement of this amazing team.
‘A bank holiday would also give our hospitality industry a much-needed assist and boost.
‘The Prime Minister is a football fan – we’ve all seen the pictures of him enjoying a kick around with his mates.
‘If Wiegman’s heroes deliver glory, we’ll all be hoping he’ll put the ball into an empty net by giving the Lionesses and the rest of us a chance to mark the occasion.
“A bank holiday would also give our hospitality industry a much-needed assist and boost.”‘
The Lionesses were on the brink of elimination by Italy when 19-year-old substitute Michelle Agyemang forced extra time, drawing the sides level with an equaliser in the sixth minute of stoppage time to cancel out Barbara Bonansea’s 33rd-minute opener.
Then, with another shootout minutes away, Beth Mead was brought down and Kelly stepped up to the spot, where she was initially denied by Laura Giuliani, but buried the rebound to complete England’s second successive stunning comeback.
Asked yesterday whether the PM will grant a Bank Holiday if England go on to win the whole tournament on Sunday, Sir Keir’s spokesman said: ‘I’m not aware of any plans for that.’
In 2022, the previous Tory government ruled out granting an extra Bank Holiday if England won the women’s Euros.
This was despite pressure from Sir Keir, the then Opposition leader, for them to do so.
Ahead of that year’s final, the Labour leader told the Daily Mirror that a Lionesses’ victory should be ‘marked with a proper day of celebration’.
In 2023, when England reached the World Cup final, Sir Keir posted on social media: ‘It’s almost 60 years since England won the World Cup.
‘I’m never complacent about anything… but there should be a celebratory bank holiday if the Lionesses bring it home.’
However, a report in 2022 said that the cost to the public finances of a single day bank holiday due to lost productivity is around £2.4billion.
