WATCH: Scottish Secretary suggests dumping 'left wing' bank holidays for Union Day
1 min read
A Cabinet minister has suggested scrapping a "left wing" bank holiday and replacing it with a day celebrating the United Kingdom.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack came up with the idea during a question and answer session at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has vowed to create four new bank holidays marking the patron saints of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland if he becomes Prime Minister.
A discussion panel on the main conference stage involving Mr Jack, Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith and Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns was asked whether they supported introducing a "Union Day" bank holiday.
The Scottish Secretary replied: "Are we replacing an existing policy by any chance? We could get rid of one of the left-wing ones."
A sources close to Mr Jack insisted it was "a jocular remark" and suggested he had been referring to May Day.
The source added: "He’d be sympathetic to the idea of rebranding an existing Bank Holiday to link it to, and celebrate, the Union.
"But there are no firm plans currently being considered."
Mr Jack's remark also seemed to be at odds with Chancellor Sajid Javid's conference speech on Monday, in which he said the Tories were now "the workers' party".
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