LABOUR is drawing up plans for an extra bank holiday as part of a manifesto strategy to help improve the work-life balance, writes David Cracknell.

Downing Street policy advisers believe a ninth bank holiday could be a significant gesture towards encouraging working parents to spend more time with their children. Labour plans to make the issue of childcare a key plank of its agenda for a third term in power.

The gesture is likely to cost business £1.5 billion in lost productivity, Confederation of British Industry estimates suggest, as most employers would be obliged to pay workers for the day.

The advisers believe the best time for the new holiday would be in autumn to break the “slog” between the end of summer and Christmas when there are 117 days between the last August bank holiday and the festive break. Dates that would imbue it with a historical significance would be Trafalgar Day on October 21 and Armistice Day on November 11.

Trade unions have been campaigning for more public holidays to bring Britain into line with Europe, which averages 11 a year, compared with eight in England, Scotland and Wales and 10 in Northern Ireland.

A poll found four out of 10 people put a bank holiday near the start of the autumn half-term break top of their wish list.

The policy is being drawn up by Matthew Taylor, the No 10 official responsible for writing the manifesto, according to Downing Street insiders. The idea came out of Labour’s Big Conversation exercise which saw members of the public write in with suggestions.

A senior Labour source said: “The policy would be a symbolic step in enabling people to better manage their work and home life. It was one of the clearest ideas that came out of the Big Conversation exercise.”

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