British Independence Day

British Independence Day is a proposed national holiday on 23 June annually in the United Kingdom to mark the anniversary of the EU referendum vote. The proposal is the subject of campaigning by pro-Brexit public figures, a Conservative-backed Bill in the UK Parliament's House of Commons, wide use by elected politicians in international media and was part of UKIP's manifesto in the UK general election 2017. The concept has been used widely in social media: on 24 June 2016 the BBC reported it as one of "Five social media trends after Brexit vote".

A UK Parliament petition calling for 23 June to be "designated as Independence Day, and celebrated annually" gained sufficient signatures for parliamentary debate in October 2016, with the government stating that there were "no current plans to create another public holiday."

By September 2017, several Conservative MPs, including David Davies and Sir David Amess, had backed a Bill in the house of commons, presented by MP Peter Bone, to commemorate the referendum vote as a national holiday into law. The Bill is set for its second reading on 15 June 2018. Figures to call for an annual 'British Independence Day' national holiday include Nigel Farage MEP, former Conservative party leader Iain Duncan Smith, Bill Etheridge MEP and Nigel Evans MP. Whilst Robin Walker MP and Patrick Grady MP have opposed the notion of a national holiday, with others supporting and opposing the sentiment more generally across multiple platforms.

Background

Early and pre-Brexit usage

References to a British independence day in relation to the United Kingdom leaving the European Union have found usage for over a decade before Brexit. In May 2004, Robert Kilroy-Silk launched UKIP's European election campaign in pursuit of an "independence day", while asking God to "give [them] the strength to save [the] country". In March 2012, Roger Helmer's proclamation of a future "Independence Day" was featured in British newspapers, reporting on his defection as an MEP from the Conservatives to UKIP, he described his political vision as a "free, independent, sovereign and democratic Britain, trading and cooperating", adding the caveat "but governed from Westminster, not Brussels". In March 2014, Helmer used "Independence Day" to distinguish Britain leaving the EU, in critical analysise of the CBI report on trade relations between the UK and EU.

As reports of a proposed EU referendum became increasingly likely, some political figures and commentators began to associate the referendum date (unknown at the time) to an independence day. In January 2016, Raheem Kassam declared that in the event of a "vote to leave" the EU, that the United Kingdom should both "publish a Declaration of Independence from the European Union", and officially the declare the day as "Britain's very own Independence Day".

EU referendum

Several Brexit supporters, both before and after the Brexit referendum, used the term "independence day" to refer to the referendum date, in an analogy to the Independence day of the US. The term was also used by those criticising Brexit. BBC News reported, on 24 June 2016, that a British Independence Day was one of "Five social media trends after Brexit vote" and that "more than 65,000 tweets included the phrase in the hours after the polls closed." They further reported that "others took issue with the phrase", demonstrating both support and opposition on Twitter.

On 21 October 2017, The New European claimed that "grand plans were hatched to make June 23, a national holiday." On 21 February 2018, The Independent published a 'Brexicon' (portmanteau of lexicon and Brexit) featuring the concept of "23 June, the referendum polling day" as the UK's 'Independence Day'.

Petition to HM Government

On 4 March 2016, UK Parliament petition 123324 opened calling for the 23 June to "be designated as Independence Day, and celebrated annually". The petition was in anticipation of the EU referendum voting date, specifically with a Brexit outcome; the sub header claiming "if we leave the EU, the UK will be an independent country for the first time since 1974". On 24 June, International Business Times reported that the petition was "much less successful so far, it only has drawn 1,967 signatures", in comparison with a petition for a second referendum and one for London independence, with 181,483 and 76,983 respectively by that stage. By 17 October, Aol reported that over "20,000 people signed a petition on the Government's website for June 23 to become a British Independence Day", the petition having reached 21,292 signatures by 4 September, when it closed. The government responds to petitions of over 10,000.

First UK Parliament debate

On 18 October 2016, the BBC reported it as one of "the petitions debated on Monday" and that there were "at most, around 14 MPs in the room" debating in Westminster Hall, an annexe to the main chamber. During the debate, Robin Walker MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union stated that "tempting though that might be, I think the idea of an independence day would face fierce competition from the likes of St George's Day, Trafalgar Day and many more."

UKIP manifesto at 2017 general election

In April 2017, UKIP's 2017 general election manifesto pledged to declare 23 June British Independence Day and observe it annually as a national holiday. Leader Paul Nuttall had made the pledge a central part of the party's agenda and referenced the promise in multiple televisions interviews and media. UKIP went on to receive the 4th highest number of votes of the participating political parties on their 2017 manifesto, with 594,068 votes or 1.8% of the vote share nationwide.

UK Parliament Bill

On 5 September 2017, several Conservative MPs backed the June Bank Holiday (Creation) Bill in the House of Commons, for the Brexit referendum date to be a UK-wide public holiday. The bill proposes that "June 23 or the subsequent weekday when June 23 falls at a weekend" should serve as a national holiday. The Bill has received support from Conservative MPs David Davies, Steve Double, William Wragg and Sir David Amess, with a second reading due in June 2018.

Support for a national holiday

• Sir David Amess, Conservative MP, has supported his colleague Peter Bone's proposed Bill to provision a national holiday on 23 June annually within the UK.
• Peter Bone, Conservative MP, has presented the June Bank Holiday (Creation) Bill in the House of Commons, for the Brexit referendum date to be a national holiday. The bill proposes that "June 23 or the subsequent weekday when June 23 falls at a weekend."
• Douglas Carswell UKIP MP, in his article titled "Britain’s Coming Independence Day" for The New York Times, stated that "America celebrates its independence on July 4. In years to come, Britons may celebrate ours on June 23." On 25 April 2016, he stated on his official website "let's make June 23rd a real independence day".
• Iain Duncan Smith, Conservative MP, stated "if we vote to leave it will be a glorious day, hopefully enshrined thereafter [...] as Independence Day", in an article for The Daily Telegraph, in which Duncan Smith further hoped the observance would "be etched on the nation’s calendar, alongside Christmas, New Year and Easter, forever."
• Bill Etheridge, UKIP MEP, said "June 23 was a momentous day in our history" and that "our country [...] will be sovereign once more and to celebrate that I believe June 23 should be an annual Independence Day bank holiday."
• Nigel Evans, Conservative MP and Leave Means Leave supporter, in October 2016 after the government's announcement regarding a 23 June national holiday, stated; "What a shame the government has made this decision, this is an absolute belter of an idea. This is the day to celebrate that we voted to make 100 per cent of our laws in the UK." He provided a further suggestion that "if its too expensive then why don't we swap it for one of those summer bank holidays in August and have our day of celebration. If it worked for the American's, why not us?"
• Nigel Farage, UKIP MEP, stated "let June 23rd go down in our history as our Independence Day", and that it "must now be made a national holiday."

Opposition to a national holiday

• Patrick Grady SNP MP, said that "of the 21,292 signatories to the petition that states that '23 June should be designated as Independence Day, and celebrated annually', two were residents of my constituency." Grady has been MP for Glasgow North since 2015. He further stated that "in years to come, 23 June will not be a day for celebration. It may indeed end up as a day of deep regret", and that "I sometimes wonder if I have woken up in a parallel universe and the independence day referred to is the day of Scotland becoming independent".
• Tony Greaves, Baron Greaves, Liberal Democrat life peer, has condemned calls for a national holiday, declaring them as them "provocative, divisive and stupid." He expanded that "it is far too early to say this is a date worth celebrating. Many of us think it will have disastrous consequences in the long run for Europe, the UK, its people and its economy."
• Robin Walker, Conservative MP, in October 2016 formally debated a petition calling for the annual observance of a British Independence Day in the United Kingdom. Arguing against the annual observance, he stated that "it's very hard to commit to June 23 over its many rivals. Unfortunately it's just too costly."

Controversies

On 28 June 2016 several national newspapers reported an account by a 21-year-old British graduate of experiencing “jeering and talking about how [23 June] would be known as British Independence Day” from a group of individuals consuming alcohol on a train journey in London. The witness claimed “they were saying 'today is Independence Day, next year it will be a bank holiday'".

PoliticsHome reported that there was "hate released as a consequence of the rhetoric” of labeling the referendum result as “British Independence Day”. The Independent ran the headline “It's offensive to call Brexit an 'Independence Day'” and further suggested that calling for its observance is “wounding to all the nations that [...] fought hard against British colonial rule.” While Bustle magazine labeled Nigel Farage's "British 'independence day' rhetoric" as "a little awkward", The Observer editorial suggested his "declaration of a historic independence day was as fatuous as it was embarrassing.

References

This article "British Independence Day" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:British Independence Day. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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