What a wonderful wheeze !
In a desperate effort to attract voters, Jeremy Corbyn has said that Labour, if elected, would give us all 4 new Bank Holidays. These would fall, he says, on the Patron Saint days of 1st March, 17th March 23rd, April and 30th November, and he's also admitted that there have been no calculations of the potential impact on the national economy.
If this isn't a gimmick, and a really stupid one, I don't know what is. Easter Sunday traditionally comes somewhere between March 22nd and April 25th, meaning that 3 of Corbyn's proposed new holidays would often come within a few days of an already extant holiday period. The disruption to many lives would be considerable and what it would do to school timetables, with children and teachers pretty much doing the 'Hokey - Cokey' - being in, out, in, out - is anyone's guess.
More ill-thought out public holidays would damage industrial production and have a seriously disruptive effect on other public services such as transport and health. The period from 1st March to the first Monday in May would see 6 Bank Holidays, with another on the last Monday in May; the country would be in a state of utter confusion. Neither is this is a period renowned for good weather and it's unlikely that these extra holidays would be of much use to the recipients.
That Corbyn is simply not fit to be Prime Minister is understood by many already; this truly silly suggestion will undoubtedly convince a few more of his incompetence. I have no objection to an additional Bank Holiday or 2, but let's have them at sensible times and for sensible reasons, not just as a political, vote chasing gimmick.
No comments:
Post a Comment