The petitions committee says that it wasn’t “clear” what action the petition wanted to take.
A petition calling for the final of the Eurovision song contest to become a bank holiday has been rejected by the petitions committee.
The petition, submitted by an anonymous person, read: “The Eurovision Song Contest is a celebration of European culture and history. The U.K. should aim to to be as involved as possible in order to promote European integration, cooperation and peace, at a time of great political strife and division in Europe.”
It added: “Last year, over 180 million people worldwide viewed the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. The host country, Portugal was able to showcase their culture, art, history and modern image.
“By making it a national holiday, we will increase participation and interest in the contest, thereby increasing education about modern Europe and celebration of European culture among the population, as well as potentially getting the opportunity to present the UK ‘s culture if we win.”
However, despite the compelling arguments, it was rejected by the petitions committee.
In their response, they said: “It’s not clear what the petition is asking the UK Government or Parliament to do. Petitions need to call on the UK Government or Parliament to take a specific action.
“The final of Eurovision is traditionally held on a Saturday. We are therefore not sure what action you would like the UK Government or Parliament to take.
“We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.”
Although it looks like the Eurovision song contest’s final won’t become a bank holiday any time soon, it was announced last month that Tel Aviv would be the host city for next year’s competition.
Speaking about the decision, Tel Aviv’s mayor, Ron Huldai, highlighted the city’s openness toward the LGBTQ community. “The city of Tel Aviv will be honored to host the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest,” he said.
“Our beloved city has gained international esteem as an open city, a welcoming home to the LGBT community and many other minorities. Tel Aviv-Yafo is a global city that respects all people—residents and visitors.”
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