Lisa Nandy has pledged a “fitting commemoration” of the 1,100th anniversary of England’s birth, after a Conservative frontbencher urged ministers to mark the occasion.
Rebecca Paul, the shadow culture secretary, told the House of Commons that next year marks 1,100 years since Athelstan united England, “an occasion most certainly worthy of celebration and recognition”.
She said: “Yet when the government were asked how they intended to mark the occasion, the answer was there are no plans.”
Paul said the anniversary “should be a moment of national joy that brings communities together”.
She suggested that the milestone could be “marked with commemorative coins and stamps, special lessons in schools, Athelstan on Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth, and maybe even a visit by His Majesty to this parliament”.
She asked the culture secretary whether she would “reconsider celebrating the 1,100th anniversary of England’s birth and share with this House, in due course, any such plans”.
Nandy replied: “It hadn’t been brought to my attention before, but I have to say that the ceremonials minister [Stephanie Peacock] has just said to me that this is right up her street, and she would be very delighted to work with the honourable member to make sure that we do have a fitting commemoration.”
The commons exchange follows calls for 12 July next year, the date in 927 on which kings from Scotland and Wales are recorded as accepting Athelstan’s overlordship, to be made a bank holiday.
Athelstan, who was already the king of Mercia and Wessex, unified England after expelling the Vikings from York.
Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, has repeatedly called for a bank holiday. The site of Athelstan’s coronation lies within Davey’s Kingston and Surbiton constituency.
Earlier this year, Conservative frontbencher Neil O’Brien asked the government whether it had plans to mark the 1,100th anniversary of the unification of England in a written parliamentary question.
The government responded: “There are no plans at present for the government to mark the 1,100th anniversary of the unification of England.”
Earlier this week, Tom Holland, the co-host of The Rest is History podcast, called for a bank holiday.
He told the Times: “It is ludicrous that we have this opportunity to mark the birth of our country and nobody cares.”
