Petition · past parliament

Make the 01st August (Emancipation Day) an official British Bank Holiday.

Rejected 21 signatures

What the petition asks

We believe it’s long over due that the 01st August recognised as ‘Emancipation Day’ worldwide in many other countries around the world should be commemorated officially here in the U.K. We believe the biggest way to commemorate this day would be to officially recognise it as a British bank holiday.
The brutal transatlantic slave trade and the abolition act of 1807 are both extremely significant events/ moments in British History.

Marking Emancipation Day (August 01st) as an official British Bank Holiday would be a most significant way of recognising the efforts of those involved in bringing to an end the U.K’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade whilst at the same time being a beacon of community cohesion and an upgrade British history for future generations and the world.

Why it was rejected

It was created under a fake or incomplete name.

Timeline

24 Jul 2022 Petition opened for signatures
26 Jul 2022 Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 21
Status Rejected
Rejected 26 Jul 2022

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.