Downing Street has no plans for a bank holiday to mark the Lionesses’ Euro 2025 win, the understands.
England made history on Saturday as they retained their title against World Champions Spain after a dramatic penalty shootout in Basel.
A homecoming parade will be held in central London on Tuesday, with an open-top bus tour culminating in a ceremony outside Buckingham Palace.
But the government appears set to confirm there will be no bank holiday to mark the occasion, in line with what happened when England won the same tournament two years ago.
Calls for a bank holiday after a major football success are not new, but none were held when England’s men’s team won the World Cup in 1966, nor when the Lionesses won the Euros in 2022.
Sir Keir has previously suggested he would be open to giving people a day off work to celebrate an England win, saying at the time that the 2022 victory should be “marked with a proper day of celebration”.
When the Lionesses reached the World Cup final against Spain in 2023, Sir Keir said “there should be a celebratory bank holiday if the Lionesses bring it home”.
Downing Street will likely have an eye on the economic cost of announcing an extra bank holiday.
Government modelling has previously put the cost at £1.36bn, while accountancy firm PwC estimated the figure would be closer to £831m.
Sir Keir watched on from the stands as England clinched a win on penalties, after the two sides held each other at 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra time.
Spot kicks from Alex Greenwood, Niamh Charles and Chloe Kelly, as well as two huge saves from goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, were enough to see England emerge from the tense match victorious.
The prime minister described the team as “history makers” after the full-time whistle, adding: “You dug deep when it mattered most and you’ve made the nation proud.”
