6. Welsh Conservatives Debate: Making Saint David's Day a bank holiday

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:07 pm on 2 March 2022.

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Photo of Rhys ab Owen Rhys ab Owen Plaid Cymru 4:07, 2 March 2022

(Translated)

—now, but they haven't been very successful so far, have they? 

And again in 2021, following a request by Gwynedd Council, the proposal to give Wales a bank holiday was rejected by the Westminster Government. Deja vu, groundhog day—call it what you like—but we've been here before. Despite the united voice of the Assembly and the Senedd on this issue, we've not made any progress in 22 years. Westminster Governments of every stripe—Labour, Conservative and even Liberal Democrats—and none of them have designated St David's Day as a bank holiday. Five Prime Ministers, seven Secretaries of State, all have said 'no'. This is not a partisan problem. We see today, as we saw 22 years ago, unanimous cross-party support in this Senedd. The problem is Westminster. Time and time again, we are being ignored.