Ministers appear unlikely to make the forthcoming extra bank holiday in honour of the Queen’s platinum jubilee permanent, as Downing Street poured cold water on the plans and emphasised the high cost to the economy of such a move.
Business leaders – including the Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden and ITV’s chief executive, Carolyn McCall – had launched a campaign calling for the government to consider the wider benefits of turning next month’s additional public holiday into an annual fixture.
