Philip Johnson in the Telegraph writes:

"The one time of the year when we have nothing to look forward to is between the late August holiday and Christmas. So, why not a holiday in October, to coincide with half-term?"

We think this catches the public mood exactly. UK bank holidays are clustered around Easter, May and December, leaving a four-month gap between the August and Christmas holidays breaks. A new public holiday in the autumn would enjoy a lot of support.

As Johnston notes, the common theme for the various bank holiday proposals is ‘Britishness’. One of the best features about the British character is our willingness to help others. That is why Community Day would bring people together to celebrate and promote volunteering and community activity.

The British economy is certainly sound enough to absorb such a holiday. Indeed, many customer-facing businesses such as retail and hospitality have their best trading days of the year on public holidays.