Con-Dem attack on May Day holiday

The coalition government is to consult on abolishing the May Day public holiday and replacing it with another sometime in the autumn.

Tourism minister John Penrose said he wants a public consultation on whether to have a replacement holiday in October. The possibility of a public consultation is expected to be one of the proposals in the forthcoming Tourism Strategy.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said the aim of any alteration to the bank holiday schedule would be to help the tourism industry in the UK.

“If people decide they’d rather hang on to the May Day holiday, then so be it,” said Penrose. “But we ought to consider the options in a sensible way before the country reaches a collective decision.

“A national conversation on the issue would give everyone the chance to have their say. It’s the Big Society in action.”

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “A few Tory backwoodsmen have a bee in their bonnet about the May Day bank holiday because of its association with international labour day. In fact May Day is a traditional British celebration dating back to the fourth century.”

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12372625

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