A Labour government would seek to create four new UK-wide bank holidays, Jeremy Corbyn says.
The holidays would be on each nation’s patron saint day – St David’s Day on 1 March, St Patrick’s Day on 17 March, St George’s Day on 23 April and St Andrew’s Day on 30 November.
Mr Corbyn believes the move would “celebrate the national cultures of our proud nations”.
Labour says the UK has fewer bank holidays than other G20 countries.
Normally, England and Wales have eight bank holidays a year, Scotland nine, and Northern Ireland 10. Labour says the average for G20 countries is 12.
Elsewhere in the election campaign:
The Conservatives are reportedly planning to limit the gas and electricity bills of 20 million people on standard variable tariffs if they are returned to office. Under the proposals, energy regulator Ofgem would cap the deals, which are among the most expensive offered by suppliers
Tory party chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin has criticised Jeremy Corbyn’s record on security, saying he could not take the “difficult decisions” necessary in the event of a terrorist attack. “The man is not suitable to become prime minister of this country,” he told The Sunday Telegraph
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has ruled out a coalition with either Labour or the Conservatives. He told the Observer: “We will not be doing any king of deal, any kind of coalition, any kind of arrangement.”
The UK Independence Party is expected to pledge a ban on the full-face veils worn by some Muslim women in its manifesto on Monday
Under the Labour bank holiday policy, the devolved administrations would have the final say on whether to approve the extra days off.
The leader of Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood, welcomed the idea – telling the BBC her party had supported a holiday on St David’s Day for many years.
But a Conservative source said: “The British economy would be on a permanent holiday if Mr Corbyn got near Downing Street.”