The Yorkshire Party is calling for Yorkshire Day – today – to be made a bank holiday within the region.

At present, England has only eight bank holidays a year as standard, fewer than almost all comparable countries. An extra summer bank holiday would not only enable the county to celebrate its Yorkshire identity, heritage and culture but would help to break up the long period between May and Christmas, which otherwise has only one bank holiday, the party says.

Dr Bob Buxton, the Yorkshire Party’s co-Leader, said: “There’s a strong argument that England should have more bank holidays. Why not have one to celebrate our regional identity here in Yorkshire, at the height of summer?”

“Scotland and Northern Ireland both have their own bank holidays; there’s no reason why Yorkshire couldn’t do likewise, which could give a massive boost to Yorkshire’s tourist and leisure sectors, from the coast to the Dales.”