Prime Minister Keir Starmer has strongly hinted that England will be granted a historic bank holiday if the national team wins the World Cup under manager Thomas Tuchel, ending 60 years of sporting disappointment. Speaking to reporters at the Nato summit, the football-mad PM said: "On the question of a bank holiday, I don't want to jinx it, but ask me again if we get to the final."
Details of the Proposed Holiday
Downing Street is understood to be preparing for the potential celebration, though exact details remain under discussion. The bank holiday would not automatically fall on the Monday after the final, which coincides with Starmer's last day in office before handing over to Andy Burnham. Instead, it is likely to be held on the Friday after the World Cup final, aligning with a victory parade for the England team. The squad is unlikely to return from New Jersey until Monday if they reach the final.
Political Context and Precedent
The Scottish Government approved a bank holiday last month after Scotland's first World Cup fixture in 28 years kicked off at 2am. While in opposition, Starmer pressured Boris Johnson's government to grant an extra bank holiday when the Lionesses won the Euros in 2022. The PM also intervened to block changes to the kick-off time for England's match against Mexico and allowed pubs to stay open until 5am for fans.
England's World Cup Campaign
England faces Norway in the quarter-finals on Saturday after a dramatic victory over Mexico in the round of 16. At the Nato summit, Starmer exchanged football shirts with Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Store, joking: "We're very strategically aligned, I'm good friends of his... But for 90 minutes on Saturday evening, we'll have to go our different ways."
Starmer also revealed he received numerous messages urging him to appeal Jarrell Quansah's red card, following Donald Trump's pressure on FIFA to overturn a ban on US star Folarin Balogun. The PM declined to intervene, saying: "I can't tell you how many messages I've had to rescind the red card... But look, I don't want to jinx all this."
