A former UKIP spokesman has endorsed the idea of a national holiday to celebrate what Leave supporters are describing as ‘independence day’.
My feeling is that June 23rd should become our annual Independence Day bank holiday (or the Mon after it should in years when that date falls on a Sat or Sun). Scrap the late spring bank holiday at the end of May if need be. https://t.co/2ZWl5AAkXz
— Patrick O'Flynn (@oflynnsocial) January 7, 2020
Journalist and former MEP Patrick O’Flynn – who defected to the Social Democratic Party in 2018 – called for June 23 to become a bank holiday after a Twitter poll proved popular.
He retweeted a poll, which asked if there should be a bank holiday marking the UK’s departure, adding: “My feeling is that June 23rd should become our annual Independence Day bank holiday (or the Mon after it should in years when that date falls on a Sat or Sun). Scrap the late spring bank holiday at the end of May if need be.”
The poll was started by Twitter user @GavinBrexit and garnered 91% positive replies to the question: “Should we have [a] bank holiday for our departure from the sinking EU?”
Despite O’Flynn’s suggestion of moving the end of May bank holiday, some replies suggested scrapping the May 1 holiday, described by one commenter as “a commie holiday”.
O’Flynn left UKIP in protest at far-right activist Tommy Robinson being appointed an adviser to party leader Gerard Batten.
In 2019, he stood as the SDP candidate in the Peterborough by-election, securing 0.4% of the vote with 135 votes.
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