‘LET’S have a day off for England.’

That’s the message from a Mirfield councillor as the first round of consultation on bank holiday changes came to an end.

The Government is considering scrapping the May Day Bank Holiday and has asked the public and councils for their views.

Clr Martyn Bolt has urged people to back the campaign to make St George’s Day a national holiday instead.

The Mirfield Conservative said: “The common sense solution would be to move the May Day Bank Holiday to St George’s Day on April 23.

“As we’ve seen this year by having two bank holidays so close to each other, it creates a protracted period of leave which can be difficult for businesses in trying times.

“Then we have a long stretch between May and August with no bank holidays. There needs to be a re-alignment.”

Clr Bolt believes St George’s Day should become as important as St Patrick’s Day in Ireland and St Andrew’s Day in Scotland.

“We need to push for parity, for England to celebrate its patron saint as other home nations do,” he said.

“The Irish – no matter where they live – celebrate St Patrick and that’s an example we should follow.

“It’s an ideal opportunity to celebrate all that’s best in England. It would be a great chance for anyone born in England or resident in England to celebrate the country.

“It would be a way of bringing people together for village fairs and community festivals.”

Last month the Government launched the first round of consultation about bank holidays.

Ministers have drawn up three options:

Scrapping May Day and setting up new bank holidays on St George’s Day (April 23) in England and St David’s Day (March 1) in Wales

Scrapping May Day and establishing a bank holiday in October to celebrate the Battle of Trafalgar

Keeping the May Day Bank Holiday.

However, the Government has ruled out increasing the number of bank holidays.