King who unified England deserves a bank holiday, historians say

King who unified England deserves a bank holiday, historians say The Rest is History host Tom Holland said talks had gone 'absolutely nowhere' Sign up to the News Newsletter I agree to receive updates and information about my account, the GB News Community, and related products and services from GB News. Email address Sign up By signing up you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and Community Rules. Thank you for signing up!

See the latest from GB News here . Choose GB News on Google - add us as a preferred source Choose GB News Support GB News Champion free speech and independent journalism while unlocking exclusive benefits. Support us Historians have called for England to celebrate its 1,100th birthday next year. The Government currently has no plans to commemorate Athelstan being declared the "King of the English" in 927. That is despite calls from politicians to make July 12 a bank holiday.

Tom Holland, the co-host of The Rest is History Podcast, told The Times: "It is ludicrous that we have this opportunity to mark the birth of our country and nobody cares." TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say He added that there had been some "talks among various people", but they had gone "absolutely nowhere". Athelstan, who was already the king of Mercia and Wessex, unified England after expelling the Vikings from York. On July 12, 927, kings from Scotland and Wales accepted his overlordship.

The Kingdom of England was then recognised until the creation of the United Kingdom in 1707, except for a period of time when it was the Commonwealth. Athelstan is considered to be the first King of England | GETTY Plans to celebrate the anniversary, however, have not hit national levels. Campaign group "England’s 1,100th" is now creating material to be used in schools in an effort to raise awareness of the historic moment. Sir Ed Davey, whose constituency is where Athelstan was crowned, led calls for July 12 to be a bank holiday.

But those calls have, so far, garnered little support - one public petition on the Parliament website has only 326 signatures. BRITAIN'S HISTORY - READ MORE: Schoolchildren taught vital lessons of Remembrance at moving Lincolnshire ceremony Residents rally around community to save local town's Armed Forces Day Oldest pub in England officially revealed by experts thanks to tree-ring dating Sir Ed Davey has called for July 12 next year to be a bank holiday | PA Andrew Rosindell, the Reform MP, also suggested a bank holiday in a Parliamentary question.

"While an additional bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy is considerable," the Government responded. "The latest analysis estimates the cost to the UK economy for a one-off bank holiday to be around £2billion." Mr Holland said there was more to the moment than just a day off work. He said: "The point of celebrating is that so much of what makes England what it is originates with Athelstan. "It's not just the conquest and annexation of the north, but the tradition he embodies and represents carries into the present."

The historian said the ancient king was a firm believer in the rule of law and was committed to charity. He added that England's "long and valuable traditions" should be celebrated, and recognise that "these things don’t appear by magic". "They have an origin," Mr Holland declared. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter News Hundreds more criminals freed under Labour early release scheme today News Booker Prize awarded to 'genre-defying' 81-year-old writer News Taxpayer-funded bodies accused of costing Britain billions and blocking major projects News Britain's wind power plunge shows gas is vital to keeping lights on, experts warn News Landlords face £30,000 fines under Labour crackdown on rental homes failing to meet net zero targets News Major London bridge CLOSED in both directions after multiple vehicle crash News Britons believe Andy Burnham is covering up migrant crime data amid court battle News Civil servant who juggled FIVE Whitehall jobs found guilty News Man jailed after sending Kemi Badenoch emails threatening to 'shoot her dead' News Royal Navy drone boats 'ready to be deployed' in UK waters to intercept Russian spy ships News National Trust in row over chopping down 'magical' tree News James Bulger's killer Jon Venables loses fresh bid to be freed from prison News WATCH: Red Bull athletes set two world records and become first-ever humans to catapult out of a chimney News Asda HQ evacuated after 'suspicious package' found with Army bomb squad called in News UK defence chiefs deploy 'hunt forces' abroad to block enemy hackers crippling Britain's military systems News Alastair Campbell's son back in business despite his former betting firm owing £5million News Society must now act to help white working-class pupils, inquiry declares News Sadiq Khan faces fresh headache as 'tacky' Oxford Street revamp sparks taxpayer spending row News Deportation crisis as 20,000 foreign offenders remain free in UK despite removal orders Exclusive News China caught supplying Britain with hijabs for illegal migrants and 'profiting' off crisis News Woman dies at Tesco as air ambulance rushes to supermarket and shoppers evacuated News National Lottery branded 'scandalous' for funding organisation promoting puberty blockers guide News Chessington World of Adventures evacuated as emergency services rush in after reports of a threat News Pensioner, 87, breaks record for oldest person to climb mount Snowdon... but cannot get back down News More than 10,000 veterans join King and PM at Cenotaph for Remembrance Sunday to pay tribute to Britain's fallen heroes News Foreign criminals sneak back into Britain after deportation at RECORD rate, new figures show News Hundreds march against Labour's plans to house over 1,250 male asylum seekers near historic market town News Christmas market sparks fury as visitors slam 'rip-off' prices News Pro-Palestine activists accused of intimidating cancer patients by handing out leaflets at NHS hospitals News Outrage as Civil Service calendar fails to mark Remembrance Sunday but celebrates trans day