Scotland qualifying for the World Cup should be a cause for national celebration, but Midlothian Council leader Kelly Parry has made it clear that the proposed bank holiday on Monday June 15 is not something her cash strapped authority can afford. The cost? Approximately £130,000 for a single day off. That is almost half the council’s yearly allocation of cost of living support for residents most in need.
The Scottish Government declared the bank holiday to mark Scotland’s first appearance in the men’s World Cup for 28 years. However, the actual decision on whether to grant workers the day off has been left to individual councils, and the response across the country has been mixed at best.
“Within the confines of an already stretched budget position, I don’t think it is the right priority for the council at this time,” Councillor Parry said in a statement ahead of the council meeting where the decision is due to be made.
Neighbouring East Lothian Council is in a similar position, with a report to councillors recommending against approval and citing costs that could also reach £130,000. Across Scotland, councils are running the same calculation and coming to similar conclusions.
It is a frustrating situation. I understand the argument for celebrating Scotland’s return to the biggest stage in football. Twenty eight years is a long time, and the qualification was a genuinely historic moment. But councils across Scotland are cutting services, closing facilities, and asking residents to pay more council tax just to keep essential provision going. In that context, spending six figures on a day off is a hard sell.
Midlothian has instead committed to finding ways to create a lasting legacy from the World Cup. Big screen events around the national team’s matches, school projects, and community events to boost interest in sport are being considered, all within existing budgets. That feels like a reasonable compromise: celebrate the moment without pretending the money exists when it plainly does not.
