Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wouldn’t commit to an extra Bank holidays if England to win Euro 2024.
The Labor leader said the UK should “certainly mark the occasion” but said he did not want to “jinx anything”. anticipating the result of Sunday’s final.
The Liberal Democrats have led calls for an extra bank holiday after England claimed a last-minute 2-1 victory over the Netherlands on Wednesday. Gareth SouthgateThe team will now face Spain in the finals.
Sir Keir previously supported calls for a bank holiday when the England women’s football team reached the World Cup final last year.
Asked whether he would support a bank holiday if Southgate’s team were victorious, the Prime Minister told broadcasters in Washington DC: “We should certainly mark the occasion, I don’t want to jinx it. I went to the last Euro final, I don’t want to go through that again.
“I don’t want to jinx anything, but we must score somehow. But the most important thing is to push the limits on Sunday.”
Sir Keir, an Arsenal fan who regularly plays five-a-side football, said England’s victory on Wednesday night was “fantastic”.
He is expected to attend the match in Berlin after watching Wednesday’s semi-final at the NATO summit in Washington DC.
Sir Keir was seen watching Harry Kane scored England’s equalizer in the match in a room with his Dutch counterpart Dick Schoof.
The Prime Minister stood up and celebrated when the penalty was awarded, then shook Schoof’s hand.
“I only managed to leave one of my sessions for five minutes when I saw Harry Kane score the first goal,” he told broadcasters.
“I missed the second one, but it was brilliant.
“Then let’s go now, big chance. I always said this team would go all the way, so I’m very, very pleased and good luck for Sunday.”
Sir Keir said it felt like football was coming home when asked about the result during an Oval Office meeting with President Joe Biden.
Lib Dem leader, sir Ed Davey said: “The Three Lions are playing their first final on foreign soil and if they bring it home, the government should bring home a holiday to celebrate.
“England deserves the opportunity to celebrate a once-in-a-generation event. Who knows, we might even get some decent weather.”
It is not the first time the Liberal Democrats have called for a temporary holiday in the event of a sporting victory, having made similar calls last year when England women reached the World Cup final.
Two extra one-off bank holidays were held across the UK in 2022, one for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and one for her funeral.
The king’s coronation in May 2023 was also a public holiday.
