No National Day For Britain
October 28, 2008
Plans put forward by Gordon Brown for a “national day” have been scrapped, despite a need for a celebration of Britishness in the UK. 
The idea stemmed from America’s 4th July celebrations and Frances Bastille Day and was to urge Britons to be more patriotic. The day was first promoted by Brown after the 7/7 bombings and was recommended as part of the citizenship review by Lord Goldsmith.
However, Constitution Minister Michael Wills said;
“A number of Lord Goldsmith’s recommendations merit further consideration across Government and will be taken into account in discussion and debate on policy development in these areas. However, there are no plans to introduce a national day at the present time”.
Immigration Minister, Liam Byrne proposed that the June bank holiday weekend be made the ‘Great British Weekend’ to celebrate what we loved best about Britain. This would mean that Britons would not get any additional bank holidays.
Nick Herbert who is the shadow justice secretary told the Daily Express;
What Else:“First a national motto, then an oath of allegiance, now a patriotic day - one token initiative after another in Gordon Brown’s Britishness agenda has sunk without trace. Labour still hasn’t worked out that British identity is bound up in our institutions, culture and history. It can’t be re-manufactured by their spin doctors.”