Mike Penning welcomes St George’s Day holiday proposals
8th March 2011
MP for Hemel Hempstead, Mike Penning has welcomed the Government’s proposals to make St George’s Day, April 23rd, a national holiday. The plans are part of the new Tourism Strategy aimed at extending the tourist season. Mike has called on local residents to respond to the consultation when it takes place later this year.
The Government believes that moving the first Bank Holiday in May to create a new St George’s Day holiday in England could generate four million extra overseas visitors over the next four years, bringing an extra £2 billion worth of visitor spending into the country and creating 50,000 new jobs.
Mike Penning, who campaigned back in 2009 to have the flag of St George flown over public buildings on St George’s Day, said:
"I am proud to be English and I welcome the proposals to create an official celebration of England’s patron saint on St George’s Day. The other parts of the UK celebrate their national days it is about time that we did likewise.
“I am delighted that St George’s Day could become a national holiday.”
Dacorum already flies the flag of St George over the Civic Centre on St George’s Day.
