No10 confirms if there will be bank holiday for Euros win after Lionesses soared to victory with penalty heroics
A decision has been made after Chloe Kelly's cool penalty decided England's tense clash against Spain in Basel, Switzerland, last night.
2
2
They are the first senior England football team to win a major tournament on foreign soil and the first to retain a trophy after victory in 2022.
But speaking today, the Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has revealed that there won't be a bank holiday to celebrate the win.
Speaking to Times Radio, Mr Reynolds said: "There should be a day of celebration. That's what the prime minister promised.
"That's not a bank holiday, but there is a Downing Street reception today. There'll be the Victory Parade tomorrow.
"I'm afraid I can't announce a bank holiday, but there should be a celebration to mark this brilliant achievement."
The Prime Minister has previously pushed for a bank holiday to celebrate the Lionesses' achievements.
Ahead of their loss to Spain in the World Cup final two years ago, Sir Keir Starmer has backed the day of celebration.
Writing on X at the time, he said: "It's almost 60 years since England won the World Cup.
"I'm never complacent about anything… but there should be a celebratory bank holiday if the Lionesses bring it home."
Mr Reynolds added: "It's a magnificent achievement and it was just a privilege to watch.
"I think this team handles the big tournament pressure better than any England team I've ever seen.
"I mean, there were some tough moments, but they really came through."
England fell behind to a goal by Mariona Caldentey in the 25th minute, but Alessia Russo scored a stunning equaliser after half time.
Chloe Kelly delivered the perfect cross to Russo in the box, who brilliantly headed it into the side-netting.
The teams battled it out in 30 minutes of extra time before England's Kelly scored the winning goal in penalties.
The match took place in Basel, Switzerland, at the massive St Jakob-Park stadium and just over 34,000 fans are in attendance.
Meanwhile, an estimated 16 million Brits watched from home.
Manager Sarina Wiegman ran on to the pitch punching the air as she joined the mass of players and staff mobbing Kelly.
The Arsenal ace was in tears as she joined thousands of delighted fans singing Sweet Caroline.
Moments later, Kelly said: 'I am so proud of this team. So grateful to wear this badge. So proud to be English. I was cool, I was composed.
'I knew I was going to hit the back of the net. Unbelievable. All the staff and Sarina Wiegman — she has done it again! Unbelievable.
'It is going to be crazy. I hope the whole of England comes out to support us and shows their love to these girls as they deserve it.'
Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
14 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Sir Keir Starmer calls for police to be 'as transparent as possible' over ethnicity of sex offence suspects: PM forced to step in as Nigel Farage leads fury over 'cover-up of alleged attack on girl, 1
Sir Keir Starmer has called for the police to be as 'transparent as possible' about the ethnicity of suspected sex offenders. The Prime Minister was forced to respond on Monday after Nigel Farage's demanded that police disclose the backgrounds of those charged with rape and sexual assault. It comes after the Mail on Sunday revealed that two Afghan asylum seekers have been charged in connection with the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. In a press conference on Monday, the Reform UK leader accused police of a 'cover-up' for failing to divulge the ethnicity or immigration status of the two men. He warned that it was 'reminiscent' of speculation about the background of the Southport killer last year which triggered a wave of conspiracy theories and riots last summer. Appearing alongside him, the 19-year-old Reform leader of Warwickshire County Council said he had 'begged' the police force to release details of the men's backgrounds. George Finch claimed he had been told he could not release information about the men's background himself 'due to this phrase 'community cohesion'.' Mr Farage's intervention prompted Downing Street to tell the police to be as 'transparent as possible' when it came to revealing the ethnicity of people charged with offences. Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) has called for the police to be as 'transparent as possible' about the ethnicity of suspected sex offenders. The Prime Minister's spokesman said the Government had 'always said, and continues to say, that transparency is important' The Prime Minister was forced to respond on Monday after Nigel Farage's demanded that police disclose the backgrounds of those charged with rape and sexual assault. In a press conference on Monday, the Reform UK leader accused police of a 'cover-up' The Prime Minister's spokesman said the Government had 'always said, and continues to say, that transparency is important'. He said the case in Nuneaton was 'clearly a deeply upsetting and distressing case, which the public are right to feel shocked and angry about.' 'Our position is that all authorities, from the police up to central government, should be as transparent as possible when handling these cases,' he added. Mr Farage said on Monday that it was 'absolutely disgraceful' that the police had not informed the public that the men were Afghan asylum seekers. Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, was charged with rape and Mohammad Kabir, also 23, was charged with aiding and abetting an assault, as well as strangulation and kidnapping. The Reform leader said that the backgrounds of suspects charged with sexual assault and rape should be shared with the public. 'Our position is that all authorities, from the police up to central government, should be as transparent as possible when handling these cases,' he said. 'Given there's a pretty febrile atmosphere... particularly [around] sexual assaults and rapes, where the temperature on this debate has risen significantly... I do believe they should [disclose suspects' ethnicities].' Mr Farage said on Monday that it was 'absolutely disgraceful' that the police had not informed the public that the men were Afghan asylum seekers. The Reform leader said that the backgrounds of suspects charged with sexual assault and rape should be shared publicly The PM's spokesman said the case in Nuneaton (pictured) was 'clearly a deeply upsetting and distressing case, which the public are right to feel shocked and angry about' Sir Keir has responded to Nigel Farage's warning that a 'police cover-up was 'reminiscent' of speculation about the background of the Southport killer last year which triggered a wave of conspiracy theories and riots last summer He warned that failing to disclose these details could lead to a repeat of the riots which happened in the wake of the murders of three children last year. 'What caused unrest on our streets after Southport last year was us not being told the status of the attacker,' he said. 'That led to crazy conspiracy theories spreading online.' The aftermath of the murder of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed event by Axel Rudakubana a year ago sparked riots across the country. The unrest was fuelled by conspiracy theories and speculation on social media that the suspect was an illegal migrant. Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, later said that the failure to share basic facts had led to 'dangerous fictions' which caused the riots. Warwickshire Police has defended its position on the Nuneaton case, stating: 'We follow national guidance,' adding that this does not extend to 'sharing ethnicity or immigration status'. 'Where relevant, sensitive information around locations, details of the crime and policing activity to catch offenders can be shared, with a warning that this is sensitive or confidential information and disclosure by those being briefed could affect future court hearings,' it said. Appearing alongside Farage, George Finch (pictured), the 19-year-old Reform leader of Warwickshire County Council said he had 'begged' the police force to release details of the men's backgrounds. but that police refused 'due to this phrase "community cohesion".' During the press conference, Mr Farage also revealed the defection of Rupert Matthews (pictured) , the Tory police and crime commissioner for Leicestershire The guidance is issued by the Royal College of Policing and covers what details should be released to media but does not mention details of race, ethnicity or immigration status. Mr Finch, the 19-year-old council leader, told the press conference that he had been 'begging' for information about the men to be released. He said he had emailed the council's chief executive to urge them to release information about the men's immigration status. He said he also wrote to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and the chief constable of Warwickshire Police calling for the immediate release of their immigration status. In it, he claimed that a 'cover-up' of the men's background 'risks public disorder breaking out on the streets of Warwickshire'. 'Having my ear to the ground locally, it is clear that there is much appetite for protests to take place across the county,' the letter adds. During the press conference, Mr Farage also revealed the defection of Rupert Matthews, the Tory police and crime commissioner for Leicestershire. The former Tory MEP and party member for 40 years left the party because he said Britain needed to cut the 'dark heart of wokeness' out of the criminal justice system. The author of various books on ghosts and UFOs becomes the party's first police and crime commissioner.
The Independent
16 minutes ago
- The Independent
Rachel Reeves under pressure to ‘urgently rule out' tax hikes
The Conservatives are urging Chancellor Rachel Reeves to "urgently rule out" increasing share taxes in the upcoming autumn budget, following the leak of a memo from Angela Rayner suggesting a series of tax hikes. The Tories argue that leaving investors"in limbo" could harm the economy. The party claims that scrapping the £500 dividend allowance would pull an estimated 5.22 million more individuals into paying investment levies. This pressure on ministers comes after a document, reportedly sent by the Deputy Prime Minister to Ms Reeves, was leaked to the press. In the memo, Ms Rayner proposed removing the dividend allowance to generate approximately £325 million annually, as well as axing inheritance tax relief for AIM shares and increasing dividend tax rates, according to The Telegraph. Shadow chancellor Mel Stride commented: 'The Government need to urgently rule out these tax hikes on savers and investors before speculation causes further economic harm. ' Labour don't understand how business works and how to create growth. More taxes on investment, entrepreneurship and saving are the last thing our economy needs right now.' The Government's U-turns over welfare reform and winter fuel payments have left the Chancellor with a multibillion-pound black hole to fill, fuelling speculation that she will seek to raise revenue through tax hikes. The Tories claimed axing the dividend allowance would drag 'an estimated 5.22 million more people into paying dividend tax'. This figure appears to be based on an assumption that at least 8.82 million people in the UK hold shares that pay dividends. Some 3.6 million are already subject to dividend tax, according to data obtained by investment platform AJ Bell through a Freedom of Information request. The Chancellor last year said she would not be 'coming back with more borrowing or more taxes' after her first budget but has since refused to rule out raising specific levies, saying it would be 'irresponsible' to do so. A Labour Party spokesperson said: 'The Conservatives have some brass neck. They've still not apologised for the damage caused by the Liz Truss mini-Budget, nor the £22 billion black hole they left – which hammered firms and families across the country. 'Labour is doing more to support business than the Tories ever could. 'We've already delivered three historic trade deals and four interest rate cuts – to reduce costs and put money back in people's pockets.'
The Guardian
16 minutes ago
- The Guardian
How are police likely to respond to the rally against Palestine Action ban?
Protesters calling for the ban on Palestine Action to be lifted are planning to stage a demonstration in London on Saturday that could result in hundreds being arrested. The mass action is in support of a campaign to overturn the proscription of the group, which was banned under terrorism laws on 5 July. Organisers are asking participants to hold up placards saying: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.' The Metropolitan police has warned that anyone showing support for Palestine Action will be arrested. The organisers are a group called Defend Our Juries, a group set up in March 2023 to campaign on behalf of a woman who stood outside a climate activist trial holding a placard about jury rights. Trudi Warner was arrested after holding a sign saying: 'Jurors, you have an absolute right to acquit according to your conscience.' The group has also been involved in supporting Just Stop Oil activists, drawing attention to what it describes as a 'constitutional crisis' in courts as climate activists say new restrictions prevent them explaining their motivations to juries in England and Wales. Among those involved in Defend Our Juries is Tim Crosland, a former government lawyer who held senior roles at organisations including the National Crime Agency and the Serious Organised Crime Agency, where he was a deputy director. He was disbarred in 2023 after he was fined £5,000 for criminal contempt of court in 2021 after deliberately making public a supreme court ruling related to Heathrow airport before the result was officially announced. Participants are being encouraged to hold aloft placards saying 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine' at a location in central London at 1pm for an hour, or until arrested. Organisers say it will only go ahead if at least 500 people are committed to it. Defend our Juries says well over that number have signed up to doing so but a decision about proceeding will be made on Tuesday. A location is yet to be announced but it will be in the Westminster area. As of Monday evening, as many as 1,000 people had signed up to take part in the action, according to Defend Our Juries. The group says that similar actions last month have 'changed the meaning' of an arrest under the Terrorism Act and that it has come to be regarded as a 'badge of honour' by those involved in the campaign to overturn the ban on Palestine action. Since the proscription of Palestine Action, Police have made arrests at previous events where protesters have held up banners saying: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine.' The Metropolitan police said on Monday: 'Our officers will continue to apply the law in relation to Palestine Action as we have done since its proscription. Anyone showing support for the group can expect to be arrested.' Tactical options include carrying out pre-emptive arrests, placing roadblocks or imposing conditions. Police have significant leeway but run a risk that the courts could strike them down at a later stage. Other options available to the police include applying for a section 14 order, under the Public Order Act 1986, which allows the police to impose conditions on public assemblies. Such an order was used recently in relation to protest activity outside a hotel in Epping, Essex where asylum seekers were being housed. Police forces can apply for a protest to be banned, a rarely used option, if they believe the risk of serious public disorder cannot be managed by imposing conditions on a protest. Any ban must be approved by the home secretary. The action is due to take place an hour after the start of a march in central London which the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and others are organising to draw attention to the plight of starving Gazans. Coincidentally, a range of protests against the use of hotels to house asylum seekers is expected to take place this weekend in London and elsewhere, with significant far-right involvement, along with counter-protests by anti-racism activists and trade unionists. The Metropolitan police said on Monday that it was aware that Save Our Juries was encouraging people to turn out with the intention of placing a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system. 'While we will not go into the specific details of our plan, the public can be assured that we will have the resources and processes in place to respond to any eventuality,' said the force. Nevertheless, Britain's largest force may have to consider whether it needs aid from other forces. Save Our Juries says it believes that the arrests of 500 people could put serious strain on the number of available places for detaining those in custody in London.
