Romford MP Calls for National Celebration England’s 1,100th Anniversary & Essex Day!

Andrew Rosindell MP at Business Questions today urged the Leader of the House to mark the 1,100th anniversary of England’s unification under King Athelstan in 2027 with a national bank holiday on 12 July, as proposed by the Royal Society of St George. 

He also celebrated Essex Day which fell on the 26 October and called for the preservation of historic county identities in future local government reforms.

The Leader of the House will be aware that 2027 will mark the 1,100th anniversary of the unification of England under King Athelstan, and the Royal Society of St George is proposing that we have a bank holiday on 12 July 2027. Will he make time for a debate on such a great, momentous occasion for our country, and will he also join me in celebrating Essex Day on 26 October? I thank you, Mr Speaker, for ensuring that the flag of Essex will be flown from the Palace of Westminster for the first time ever. I hope the Leader of the House will ensure that under the new local government reorganisation, historic and ceremonial counties will be put together, so that we can celebrate our true county identity.
Andrew Rosindell M.P., Member of Parliament for Romford

I was aware of that anniversary, because I think the hon. Gentleman has raised it before. [Interruption.] Rather cruelly, my colleague sitting next to me says that I was there for the event, but that simply is not true. I am sure that when the time arises, it will be an appropriate opportunity to have a debate in this House, because we should be very proud of our national identity and celebrate it. When an anniversary such as that comes along, we should seize it with both hands.

I wish Essex Day all the very best. It is not just about being proud of our nation; it is about being proud of our regions and our towns, too. Devolution and where we will end up with it is a matter for another day as the devolution Bill progresses through this House. At this moment, I am not going to speculate about the future of counties, either historic or not as historic.
The Rt Hon. Sir Alan Campbell M.P., Leader of the House of Commons