St George's Day petition launched

Date published: 05 February 2010

The whole of Ireland takes a day off for St Patrick’s Day, St Andrew’s Day is a holiday in Scotland, and polls show that 87 per cent of the people in Wales are demanding similar status for St David’s Day.

So why should St George’s Day – England’s national day - be different?

Tameside Council believes that April 23 should be a public holiday and under the slogan “For Tameside and St George” it wants the people of the borough to show their support by signing a petition which will be sent to the Government. This can be done online at www.tameside.gov.uk/stgeorge and in due course paper versions will be available.

A cross-party steering group has been established, and the campaign was launched at the St Peter’s Youth Project, based at Holy Trinity Church, Dean Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, on February 4.

Cllr Jackie Lane, chair of the steering committee, said: “Tameside Council has been holding events to mark St George’s Day for several years but we believe it should be made into a public holiday so that England can be celebrated in the same way Ireland is on St Patrick’s Day.

“A St George’s Day holiday wouldn’t be a nationalistic event, it would celebrate England as it is in the 21st century. Roast beef is the traditional dish but we would have to accept that nowadays more people enjoy curries, kebabs and Chinese food.

“We have our sports stars like Geoff Hurst, Ricky Hatton and Mike Atherton. But alongside them we have to place the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Amir Khan and Monty Panesar.

“In Tameside we see a St George’s Day holiday as something that the whole community could enjoy and participate in.”