Skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith has urged parents not to let their children skip school on Monday following England's last-16 World Cup match against Mexico, which kicks off at 1am UK time. The former Home Secretary, who also taught for 11 years, said she would take a 'disco nap' before the game to ensure she could go to work on Monday.
Minister's Plea to Parents
Asked on Times Radio whether parents should allow children to miss school after the match, Baroness Smith said: 'Parents will make their own decision.' She added: 'What I will say is, I will be watching but I'll be in work the next morning as well. Kids have to be in school in order to be learning, and that's what I would ask parents to reflect on. All of us need to go into work on Monday to celebrate England's victory against Mexico.'
Flexible Working and Economic Impact
A survey of 1,100 managers by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) found that only one in five employers plan to offer flexible working hours for World Cup matches. Petra Wilton, CMI director of policy, said: 'We're not saying every England win deserves a bank holiday, but if millions of people have stayed up until 3am supporting their team, asking employers to let them start a little later the next morning is simply common sense.'
England's match against the Democratic Republic of Congo boosted high street footfall by 7.4% week on week, with a 15% increase across high streets, according to MRI Software. London saw a 46.7% uplift in footfall, and office-dense areas recorded a 31.7% rise between 2pm and 5pm as fans left work early.
