England could be in for an unexpected bank holiday on Monday, 15 July, if comments made by Sir Keir Starmer are anything to go by. The newly appointed British Prime Minister, who's barely a week into his role, already has cause for celebration.
Despite being unable to personally witness Gareth Southgate's squad march into their second consecutive European Championship final due to official commitments at a NATO meeting on Wednesday night, it's understood that Sir Keir kept up with the event. Following England's victorious match against Holland, a significant decision now hangs over Starmer, according to Football London.
There's a growing public sentiment favoring a celebratory bank holiday should the Three Lions clinch their second major trophy ever. This comes as Southgate aims to outdo the achievements of Euro 2020 (which took place in 2021).
While Starmer hasn't committed to any specific plans, cautioning that he didn't want to "jinx it", he did share his thoughts during the NATO summit.
"We should certainly mark the occasion," he remarked. "I went to the last Euros finals. I don't want to go through that again so I don't want to jinx anything. We must mark it in some way but the most important thing is getting it over the line on Sunday. He also let on that he felt confident about England's prospects, stating they were set to go."
READ MORE: Dani Olmo to Liverpool: Transfer state of play as Spain midfielder faces England in Euro 2024 final
READ MORE: Marc Geuhi transfer latest: Liverpool 'inquiry' and Man Utd 'interest' ahead of Euro 2024 final
Starmer doubled down on his stance, speaking to Gary Neville on ITV before kick-off, conservatively adding: "Let’s get through the next few hours. We will need to make it in some way, an appropriate way."
Reflecting on the events of 2021 when Keir Starmer was at the helm of the opposition, he didn't hold back on the idea of a bank holiday to celebrate an England triumph at Wembley.
"The whole country is incredibly proud of what Gareth Southgate and our England heroes have achieved already," he said at the time. History has been made. If we win on Sunday, the country should get the chance to celebrate it properly with an extra bank holiday, granted in the name of the England team. I've got a strong feeling, it's coming home."
Despite the fact that his hopes did not come to fruition, Starmer wasn't the only one floating the idea of a day off. Frances O'Grady, then general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, was on the same wavelength.
She stated: "If England bring it home on Sunday, the government should allow the country to celebrate by announcing a special bank holiday. But it can't just be a one-off. UK workers get fewer bank holidays than most of our European counterparts. The TUC has long called for more public holidays. So come on England!"
Now, with the recent exploits of Ollie Watkins and his squad, who pulled off a stunning comeback in one of England's standout performances of the tournament, the conversation has been reignited. Starmer took to Twitter/X to share his joy and support after the game.
The Prime Minister also took a moment to react to Harry Kane's stunning equalizer on his social platforms. "Picked the right moment to pop out from NATO meetings and check the score..." he wrote. "Berlin, here we come."
Most Popular
Comments / 0