Call for St David's Day to become a public holiday

The Welsh, patron saint day, does not have any legal standing. Meanwhile, in Scotland and Ireland St Andrew’s Day and St Patrick’s Day respectively are already public holidays.

Leader Jane Dodds MS said: “Almost every country on earth has a national holiday, why not Wales? We already know the UK only has one of the lowest numbers of public holidays in the developed world at eight, compared to 13 in Germany and Spain, 15 in Sweden and 16 in Japan.

“St David’s Day is the day we all come together to celebrate the huge tapestry of Welsh culture and remember our collective history.

“It is only right therefore that St David’s Day, Wales' national day, is made a public holiday just like St Andrew’s Day in Scotland and St Patrick’s Day in Ireland.

“The UK Government needs to give the Senedd the power to legislate for this to happen, so we can ensure that everyone has the opportunity to celebrate who we are and our unique culture which unites us.”